Countywide : Youngblood Files Late Financial Statements

Orange County Municipal Judge Bobby D. Youngblood, who has taken an unpaid leave to run for sheriff, filed late financial statements Friday showing that his campaign has $23,229 in cash on hand, rather than the $24,800 deficit he reported earlier.

Youngblood also announced that he has filed a complaint with the state Fair Political Practices Commission questioning incumbent Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates’ $2,158.05 campaign payment for secretarial services to “Ruth Ramos, wife of Gates’ undersheriff, Raul Ramos.”

Youngblood said he questions whether the campaign funds have been used to pay Ruth Ramos for private secretarial work she does for Gates.

Gates and Ramos could not be reached for comment. FPPC spokeswoman Lynn Montgomery said she was unaware of Youngblood’s complaint.

Youngblood amended his own campaign statement for the period from Jan. 1, 1982, through Jan. 1, 1986, to delete $285,000 that he previously reported was pledged to his campaign.

“The pledges,” Youngblood said, “while made in good faith, may not be forthcoming and I do not want to be deceptive or appear to be deceptive.”

Youngblood’s amended campaign statement includes a notation that a “prior treasurer made errors” that reflected a deficit rather than a balance.

“Other figures,” Youngblood said in a separate, prepared statement, “quite frankly, came from I don’t know where.”

Youngblood has estimated that he would need $100,000 to $200,000 to force Gates into a runoff election, and $200,000 to $500,000 to win the June 3 primary outright. Gates has spent $55,000 in the campaign since Jan. 1 and reports having a $114,000 surplus as of March 17.

There will be a runoff election in November unless one of the three candidates on the June 3 ballot receives at least 50% of the vote, plus one vote. Youngblood, 49, and Linda Lea Calligan, 38, a Sheriff’s Department sergeant, are challenging Gates, 47, who is seeking his fourth four-year term. Calligan reported a $32 balance in her campaign as of March 17.

The total cash on hand for the Youngblood campaign as of March 17 is $23,229. But Youngblood also reported outstanding debts of $7,837.

Youngblood’s campaign statement was filed more than a week late, but Suzanne Slupsky, a deputy in the Orange County registrar’s office, said the $10-a-day fine for late filings is being waived for all candidates in the June election who did not meet the March 24 filing deadline. However, had Youngblood’s report not been filed by next Friday, the matter would have been turned over to the district attorney’s office and the $10 daily fine probably would have been imposed, she said.