Beam Campaign Accuses Roth of Misleading Statement in Mailer

An official of Orange Mayor James H. Beam’s campaign for supervisor announced Monday that a complaint had been filed charging Beam’s opponent, Anaheim Mayor Donald R. Roth, with including a “false and misleading” statement in a campaign mailer.

Brion May, Beam’s volunteer campaign chairman, said the complaint mailed to the county Fair Campaign Practices Commission referred to a July 25 mailer sent to residents of the 4th Supervisorial District.

The mailer urged residents to appear before the Orange County Transportation Commission and oppose plans to extend the Garden Grove Freeway through North Tustin neighborhoods.

“P.S. Why would Mayor Beam ever authorize a study to put a freeway route through an existing community when routes that bypass communities are available?” the campaign mailer asked.

The Beam campaign complaint said Roth knew that Beam was only one member of the Transportation Commission and that “no one member is authorized to spend public funds or authorize a study like the one” mentioned in the mailer.

The complaint said Roth knew that the law requires a majority vote by the commission on the study by the commission.

The commission unanimously decided on July 28 to reject any plans to extend the freeway through North Tustin, voting instead to widen the Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5) and other freeways in the county.

Harvey Englander, a consultant to Roth, said he was unaware of the complaint, “so there’s nothing I can respond to.”

May said the Beam campaign hoped the Fair Campaign Practices Commission would consider the complaint at a meeting later this month.