Opponents of Measure P, Sonoma County law enforcement oversight measure, get late cash boost

Opponents of a ballot measure that would boost the funding and authority of Sonoma County’s law enforcement oversight office have received a late surge of cash totaling nearly $90,000 from three law enforcement organizations in the final stretch before Tuesday’s election.

The money, donated Wednesday to the No on Measure P campaign in the form of loans, came from the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the labor group’s political action committee and the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association PAC, which donated $6,900, $73,000 and $10,000, respectively, county campaign finance documents show.

The Committee for Transparent Justice, the group opposing Measure P, also announced a late spending spree Saturday, disclosing a $73,000 digital media campaign. That move alone more than doubles the group’s spending to date on digital media, according to the committee’s filing.

Measure P, otherwise known as the Evelyn Cheatham Effective IOLERO Ordinance, would modify parts of the 2016 ordinance that established the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach, including boosting the agency’s budget and giving it the power to issue subpoenas.

Sheriff Mark Essick, the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Sonoma County Farm Bureau strongly oppose the measure, contending it would infringe on the sheriff’s authority and result in overly burdensone and costly compliance for the department. But Sonoma County supervisors and other community leaders have lined up to support Measure P, saying it is needed to give the teeth to the independent office and increase its funding.

With more than half of ballots already returned last week, the late cash surge ramps up the intensity for an already hotly contested campaign rife with innuendo from law enforcement groups and already featuring one campaign finance complaint.

Sonoma County Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Lynda Hopkins have joined other supporters in accusing the opposition of a lack of transparency, and of running a campaign not grounded in facts, specifically citing signs that insinuate Measure P would defund the Sheriff’s Office.

The measure does require stronger IOLERO funding, but it does not prescribe a source for the extra money.

“It’s a deliberate disinformation campaign that’s very well-funded,” said Hopkins, an early supporter of the oversight measure. “There’s a lot of fear-mongering that’s happening right now, and we deserve better than that in Sonoma County.”

Mike Vail, president of the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the organizer behind the group running the No on Measure P campaign, did not return requests for comment Friday or Sunday.

Damian Evans, who leads the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association, a labor group that represents dispatchers, correctional deputies and other jail staff, also did not return requests for comment Friday or Sunday.

The 11th hour donations, coupled with smaller donations from deputies and Sheriff’s Office retirees, bring opponents’ fundraising to $122,000. Supporters of Measure P had collected almost $146,000 for their campaign as of Oct. 31, campaign disclosures showed.

Along with a list of small-dollar donors, the measure’s supporters reported several big-ticket donations, including a $20,000 contribution by John Mutz, a former Los Angeles police captain who ran for the Sonoma County sheriff’s seat in 2018 and lost.

Barbara Grasseschi, a local vineyard owner and philanthropist, gave $10,000 to the campaign on Oct. 24, adding to the more than $25,500 she had previously donated, campaign disclosure forms showed.

Prior to Wednesday, the No on Measure P camp had raised $20,000 from the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and another $2,500 from KS Leasing, LLC, a Sonoma County-based company managed by celebrity chef and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri.

The Deputy Sheriff’s Association and its PAC also committed $5,000 each on Oct. 26.

Zane and Hopkins, both prior beneficiaries of Sonoma County Farm Bureau political donations, criticized the organization for its spending in this race. But Farm Bureau Executive Director Tawni Tesconi defended her group’s giving, saying the Sheriff’s Office “has done an excellent job in supporting agriculture,” and questioned the need for additional oversight spending.

The efforts to stop expanded oversight have roiled Sonoma County progressives, even prompting an official complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission from a member of the task force that helped create the oversight group five years ago.

Robert Edmonds, the vice chair of that task force, said the Committee for Transparent Justice has not lived up to its name.

“They’re engaging in a political campaign without filing any of the necessary paperwork with the FPPC,” said Edmonds.

The FPPC rejected the complaint from Edmonds, who said it was the first time he has ever filed such a complaint. He said he corrected a problem with the initial complaint and has resubmitted it.

You can reach Staff Writer Tyler Silvy at 707-526-8667 or tyler.silvy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @TylerSilvy. You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.