State Agency Recommends $27,000 Fine for Fresno County Transportation Authority Election Violations

California's political watchdog has recommended a $27,000 fine against the Fresno County Transportation Authority, alleging the agency used taxpayer funds to run advertisements supporting the Measure C renewal and then failed to properly disclose where the money came from.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission cited six alleged violations spanning 2021 and 2022, according to a February order from the agency. The fine is a recommendation at this stage, not a final judgment, and the FPPC characterized the authority's pre-election advertising as crossing a clear legal line.

"It goes beyond mere advocacy of an issue and constitutes a strong electoral message," the order states.

The alleged violations are tied to the failed Measure C renewal effort in 2022. Measure C is the sales tax measure the Fresno County Transportation Authority oversees, and the agency's campaign-adjacent advertising drew scrutiny from state enforcement staff who found the authority should have registered with the state as an independent expenditure committee given the nature of its messaging.

"Given its apparent advocacy supporting a Measure C renewal, the authority should have filed with the state," the FPPC order found.

The commission also flagged late-filing violations, framing them as a direct harm to voters who depend on timely disclosure to evaluate campaign activity before an election. "The public harm inherent in campaign late-filing violations is that the public is deprived of important, time-sensitive information regarding campaign activity, which is heightened when related to pre-election activity and 24-Hour reporting," the order states.

The Measure C renewal ultimately failed at the ballot in 2022. No statement from the Fresno County Transportation Authority addressing the FPPC's recommended fine was included in the available record.