Rancho Santa Margarita mayor suspends campaign, cites document ‘error’

Shawn Gordon drove around Rancho Santa Margarita when he noticed something odd happening in his hometown.

Mayor Carol Gamble’s campaign signs began disappearing from District 3, where she sought reelection next month. By evening, even the lawn signs outside of the mayor’s home vanished from sight.

The next day, Gamble’s campaign website was scrubbed to read “coming soon.”

By Oct. 20, the sudden political retreat made sense when she publicly announced the suspension of her campaign that same day. Gamble acknowledged she attested to an inaccurate statement on her nomination papers but deemed it a mistake that was found too late to correct.

“My error, my responsibility and my decisions have been discussed with the District Attorney through my counsel, and no promises have been made to me,” said Gamble in a press released published on the city’s website.

On Oct. 16, the Orange County district attorney’s office could neither confirm nor deny an investigation with TimesOC regarding Gamble and any potential perjury case surrounding her nomination papers.

Under election law, anyone of voting age can help circulate nomination papers so long as the person signing off on the documents is the same person who witnessed the voter signatures.

Gordon, a longtime Rancho Santa Margarita resident, first alerted election authorities about Gamble and allegations of perjury back in August.

He wrote a letter to Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page and informed him that several registered voters in Rancho Santa Margarita signed declarations stating that Gamble did not witness their signatures despite attestations that she had.

TimesOC reviewed one notarized statement related to Gamble’s campaign.

“Ms. Gamble was not present at that time and did not witness my signature,” it read.

The Registrar’s office forwarded the matter to the O.C. Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer’s office for review, according to Gordon.

“There is no cure period,” he said. “I’m hoping Spitzer does the right thing. This is absolutely cut and dry.”

An O.C. D.A. spokeswoman did not immediately respond for comment following Gamble’s campaign suspension.

TimesOC

Fullerton City Council candidate arrested on perjury charges

Scott Markowitz faces two felony charges related to campaign paperwork submitted to run for Fullerton City Council.

Oct. 16, 2024

It comes just days after the O.C. D.A. brought two felony charges against Scott Markowitz, a first-time Fullerton City Council candidate, for allegedly attesting under the penalty of perjury that he witnessed signatures gathered for his own nomination papers.

Markowitz, who was arraigned on Monday, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law violation and was sentenced to a day in jail, a year of probation and 160 hours of community service.

The felony counts were dismissed.

Gamble, an incumbent, has served on Rancho Santa Margarita City Council since 2011 following an initial four-year term in 2000.

According to her press release, she is making efforts to immediately return campaign contributions to donors.

Political Action Committees for the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Apartment Assn. of Orange County and the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs have all recently contributed to Gamble’s campaign this month.

Gamble will still appear on the ballot but pledges to resign from office, if elected.

In the Markowitz case, the O.C. D.A. stated that he would be ineligible to hold office if he won, and a special election would need to be called.

Keri Lynn Baert, a Rancho Santa Margarita District 3 council candidate, declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Gamble’s campaign suspension.

“Her decision doesn’t impact how committed I am to my campaign,” said Baert, who is the sole opponent in the race. “She’s still on the ballot. I’ve focused my entire time on term limits, fiscal responsibility and transparency. It’s still important that I win the majority of the votes in this election.”

Chris McLaughlin, a former City Council candidate, appeared to allude to issues surrounding a candidate’s nomination papers, but didn’t name who, during an Oct. 9 Rancho Santa Margarita council meeting.

“When it says penalty of perjury, that’s actually a crime,” he said.