Supervisor Candidate Accused Of Campaign Finance Violations

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — A Fremont city councilmember and Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 1 candidate has been accused of violating campaign finance rules.

The state Fair Political Practices Commission, which enforces the Political Reform Act, confirmed it is investigating Vinnie Bacon after three complaints were filed against him in recent months. Complainants allege that Bacon underreported and failed to report expenses, failed to properly report money that he gave his campaign, used personal funds to pay for campaign expenses and reported campaign contributions late, among other violations, FPPC records show.

Bacon said that none of the allegations against him have been verified as the FPPC continues its investigation. FPPC said it does not comment on active cases.

Bacon has submitted written answers to the complaints, as required by the FPPC. Citing the pending investigation, he declined to provide those responses or respond in detail to the allegations against him. He did, however, address some of the claims.

One complainant notes Bacon apparently used personal funds to purchase $18,100 in TV ads. Bacon said the card linked to his campaign account wasn't working because the transaction was too large, so he used his personal card.

In another instance, Bacon acknowledged that he failed to update the disclaimer on his Facebook ads. Though the ads indicated that the money was coming from his council campaign committee, the funds were drawn from his current campaign account. The money spent on the ads was properly reported, he said.

Bacon also acknowledged what he called a clerical error — in one financial disclosure he classified money he gave to his own campaign as a loan, then subsequently labeled it as a contribution.

"I am my own treasurer," he said. "We're running a grassroots campaign."

This is not the first time Bacon has faced allegations of campaign finance violations.

The Fair Political Practices Commission fined him nearly $2,400 after his 2016 city council campaign. He faced nine counts of violating campaign finance rules by filing late reports and failing to report non-monetary campaign contributions.

Bacon said he unknowingly saved some of his forms as drafts instead of submitting them. He noted that the FPPC indicated that it "found no evidence of intent to conceal."

Opponent David Haubert's campaign touted the FPPC investigation into Bacon in a news release sent to members of the media. One of the complaints against Bacon was filed by Rick Taylor, the spokesperson for Haubert's campaign.

Bacon called the complaints "an ugly campaign tactic" intended to distract from the real issues of the campaign.

Taylor disagreed.

"He's broken the law," Taylor said. "Mr. Bacon is trying to avoid the responsibility that we all have to report accurately our campaign donations."

It's unclear when the FPPC investigation will conclude.

Voters will decide by Nov. 3 whether they want Bacon or Haubert, who is mayor of Dublin, to represent the district that encompasses Dublin, Livermore, most of Fremont, part of Sunol and most of the unincorporated Livermore-Amador Valley.

In the March primary, Bacon came out on top with 27 percent of the vote (18,571 votes), while Haubert came in second with 26 percent of the vote (17,697 votes).

District 1 Supervisor Haggerty announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election when his current term expires in January 2021 to spend more time with family. The long-time supervisor has held the post since November 1996 and is serving his sixth (and final) four-year term.

Read the complaints filed against Bacon here.