Former Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez accused of wrongful spending

There is yet different twist successful the peculiar predetermination contention for Fresno City Council District 5.

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez is present facing questions arsenic his woman campaigns for metropolis council.

"Is the erstwhile councilmember, present connected the Board of Supervisors, promoting his wife's candidacy with the usage of nationalist funds?" asked Luisa Medina.

In a caller letter, Medina and governmental titan Juan Arambula outline however they accidental Chavez unlawfully utilized payer dollars erstwhile helium was a assembly member.

Chavez distributed a newsletter that prominently featured his woman conscionable weeks ago.

Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas is present conscionable 5 days distant from a peculiar predetermination successful Council District 5.

"It appears that the newsletter was done to beforehand oregon beforehand Elizabeth and for her candidacy to regenerate him connected the council," said Medina.

There are besides questions astir Chavez's contracts.

He spent 100,000 dollars to prosecute Alex Tavlian, a governmental advisor who is besides the exertion of the SJV Sun blog.

That spending came little than a period earlier helium near for the County Board of Supervisors.

"Why would anybody motion a declaration if he's not going to beryllium around?" asked Medina.

"For nationalist relations, communications. That raises a question."

Chavez is forcefully pushing back, penning successful a connection to Action News:

"There was nary territory funds utilized for governmental purposes, having been successful bureau for implicit a decade, I'm precise alert of ineligible parameters of nationalist funds, the newsletter was utilized to supply numbers (sic) for constituents to telephone for potholes, histrion trimming, amerciable dumping, graffiti and the caller wellness session opening up to judge caller patients successful the district. Anything implied oregon insinuated is axenic speculation and aligned with the upcoming predetermination to capable my aged seat."

"When you instrumentality a look astatine the timing of immoderate this stuff, it conscionable raises respective issues, truthful we're asking the City Attorney's Office to look into it," said Medina.

City Attorney Andrew Janz would not remark connected their petition specifically, but earlier this week said, "complaints regarding misuse of metropolis resources and wide mailing are beyond the scope" of his office.

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