Ex-Mayor Charges Fraud in Election, Seeks Probe
Former Carson mayor Michael Mitoma, who last month lost a reelection bid to challenger Peter Fajardo by 165 votes, is charging that his opponent won by voter fraud and is asking the secretary of state to investigate the recent vote.
“People who live outside the city were voting,” Mitoma said Monday. “There were a number of people who registered to vote in 1992 and we think some of them were not citizens.”
Mitoma, mayor for seven years, said he was concerned that there were several people with different last names registered at the same address. The secretary of state’s office said it is looking into Mitoma’s allegations.
Fajardo says he won the election fairly. “I will be more than happy to cooperate in the investigation,” the new mayor said. “But I think Mike should concentrate on the 1999 election instead.”
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