Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz announced Monday that his office is launching an investigation into campaign mailers that may violate campaign finance law.
The mailers in question are targeted against City Council candidate Brandon Vang, who is running in the special election for District 5.
Driving the news: Hundreds of residents in District 5 received mailers last week that accuse Vang of committing statutory rape in 1993.
- The mailer cites a confidential lawsuit accusing Vang of statutory rape against a 15-year-old girl while he was an adult. The lawsuit was filed against Vang to establish child support.
- The mailers were sent by Fresno Future Forward, a group that has no online presence and no names attached.
- Fresno Future Forward has not filed any campaign finance documents with the city, which it is required to do if it spends over $1,000 in a year. Janz said Monday that the group spent over $1,000 to send the mailers.
The big picture: Vang filed a complaint to Janz’s office last Friday requesting an investigation into potential violations of the California Political Reform Act.
- Janz said the goal of the investigation is to achieve compliance with the law, noting that it is not a civil or criminal matter.
- The investigation will start with a subpoena of a UPS store in downtown Fresno, which is the address listed on the mailer. The city could also subpoena the print shop that printed the mailers.
- Janz said the investigation should take about one week. The special election is scheduled for March 18.
What they’re saying: “My only goal here today is to see compliance with our campaign finance laws so that voters can make a fair and informed decision about who they are choosing to be their next Council member,” Janz said at a press conference.
- Vang denied the allegations made in the mailer, calling them “completely false and deeply hurtful.”
- “I have always prioritized my family’s well-being and integrity,” Vang said in a statement. “The child support case mentioned in the flyer involves my wife of 30 years and our son, who has lived with me his entire life. It’s disheartening to see false claims used as political attacks, but I remain committed to honesty and serving our community with transparency.”
