Candidate Fined for False Advertising

A Ventura County Superior Court judge has ordered a candidate for county clerk to pay a $2,500 fine for falsely and deceptively advertising his business services, putting an end to a four-year legal dispute.

Daniel J. Schmidt, a former Simi Valley resident, was charged in 1991 with wrongfully charging business owners for unnecessary services associated with refiling their business licenses.

The legal complaint was made by the district attorney’s office on behalf of the county clerk.

Schmidt ran his own legal advertising firm that published fictitious business names for business owners.

The complaint filed against him said Schmidt wrongly implied in flyers mailed to thousands of businesses that it was necessary to republish information when their licenses were renewed with the county clerk. Business licenses must be renewed every five years.

The complaint also said that flyers mailed by Schmidt’s California Legal Publication Office closely resembled income-tax forms, giving the impression that Schmidt was sanctioned by a government agency. There was no indication that the flyers were mailed by a private business.

Schmidt, now a resident of Ventura, said he had consulted with officials in the county clerk’s office before mailing the flyers and assumed there was no problem. However, the clerk’s office never officially approved the flyers.

When the clerk’s office received complaints from business owners who had received the mailers, the district attorney filed suit against Schmidt.

Schmidt said the message on the flyers may have confused some recipients, but he never intended to mislead anyone. He said he refunded money to those who had filed complaints against him.

Schmidt is the only candidate challenging the reelection of Ventura County Clerk Richard Dean in the June 7 election. He said he decided to run for county clerk because he believes the office can be managed more efficiently.

But Dean said Schmidt had other motives for trying to unseat him. “I think it’s simply a matter of retaliation and retribution.”