Roache Alleges Illegal Campaign-Spending Tactics

Sheriff’s candidate Jim Roache on Wednesday accused the labor organization that represents the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department of making illegal campaign expenditures on behalf of his opponent, Assistant Sheriff Jack Drown.

Roache and Drown are running to succeed Sheriff John Duffy, who held office for nearly 20 years. The Deputy Sheriff’s Assn., the department’s labor group, overwhelmingly supports Drown in the Nov. 6 election.

Roache, a sheriff’s captain, said the deputies’ group stamped “Jack Drown for Sheriff” on official correspondence that was mailed with nonprofit organization postage in apparent violation of federal postal laws.

Association President Randy Dibbs said the organization broke no postal rules and has a letter from the California Fair Political Practices Commission stating that the stamp would not constitute a campaign contribution.

Roache also has accused the deputies organization, in mailing a flyer for a Drown precinct walk, of making an illegal campaign contribution because the organization consulted with Drown’s campaign staff beforehand to put the event together.

Roache said state law prohibits the labor group from spending money “at the behest, under the control or at the direction of, in cooperation, consultation, coordination, or concert with” Drown’s approval.

Dibbs said the event was sponsored on behalf of Drown, but the deputies group did not consult Drown or his campaign staff.

Roache said one Drown flyer lists Sheriff’s Department telephone numbers that can be called for more information, which would be using county phones for Drown’s campaign. Dibbs said he doesn’t know where the flyers came from, but he stopped them from being distributed once he discovered them.

Roache also said that Drown has been distributing campaign magnets paid for by the association, but that Drown has not reported the magnets on his campaign disclosures. Nor do the magnets themselves indicate who paid for them, Roache said.

Dibbs said the association, not Drown, distributed the magnets, and the association has been told that the magnets do not have to be labeled as to who paid for them.

Roache said he will send his allegations to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the district attorney and the postmaster general.