Fresno City Attorney launches probe into City Council campaign mailers, issues subpoena

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With immoderate Fresno voters already astatine the polls, an probe is present underway into a run mailer.

"The absorption of this probe is whether immoderate entities oregon persons violated the Political Reform Act and/or Fresno municipal codification sections governing our section run concern laws," Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said.

The probe comes conscionable days aft the mailer arrived astatine homes passim City Council District Five.

"Fresno Future Forward" is printed connected the mailer arsenic paying for it, and the mailer states City Council campaigner Brandon Vang is "disgusting" and "engaged successful alleged statutory rape."

Vang has forcefully pushed back, calling the allegations "completely mendacious and profoundly hurtful."

Janz's probe volition beryllium constricted successful scope.

"Let maine beryllium clear, my probe is lone astir the enforcement of run concern laws," helium said. "It is not my relation arsenic City Attorney to measure the merits and contents of the mailer itself."

Local run concern laws necessitate anybody who spends much than a 1000 dollars connected governmental connection to record with the city. Janz says it ne'er happened.

"I checked with the metropolis clerk this morning, and nary specified disclosures person been made by the named organization," helium said.

Janz said his superior extremity is compliance, and the probe is simply a civilian matter, limiting immoderate penalties to a imaginable fine.

"What grounds bash you person that this campaign, that this group, really went supra that $1,000 threshold?" Action News asked.

"We person bully accusation based connected our archetypal probe already that these mailers were sent retired to hundreds of residents successful the area," Janz said.

He is present searching for the sender and issuing a subpoena to the mailer's instrumentality address, which is the determination of a UPS Store.

But proprietor Lisa Murray tells Action News she has nary grounds of "Fresno Future Forward" and says she has ne'er done concern with the group.

She said the mailers were not sent from her store.

Murray confirmed that she plans to comply with the subpoena.

"If that doesn't uncover anything, we're going to speech astir possibly looking astatine the folks that printed the documents," Janz said of the subpoena.

With polls closing successful 8 days, the City Attorney indispensable determination quickly. He said voters person a close to cognize who sent the mailers, and helium hopes to person an reply successful little than a week.

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