Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung was served with a lawsuit ahead of Thursday\u2019s OCPA meeting, marking a significant development in the race for Orange County Supervisor. The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, challenges both Jung\u2019s ballot designation and specific claims made in his candidate statement.<\/p>\n
Jung\u2019s ballot designation lists his occupation as \u201cFullerton Mayor \/ Businessowner.\u201d The petition argues this designation is misleading and not supported by current business activity. It cites state business records indicating that Gatsby LLC, the company associated with Jung, was dissolved in 2014. Under California election law, ballot designations must reflect a candidate\u2019s current, primary occupation and cannot be misleading to voters.<\/p>\n
Jung\u2019s candidate statement asserts that he \u201cturned around a $9 million deficit into a balanced budget.\u201d The lawsuit argues this is misleading because it conflates different budget concepts. While cities are required to adopt a balanced budget each year, the petition alleges that Fullerton continues to face a structural deficit and has relied on reserve funds to balance its budget. Recent financial projections show ongoing deficits and declining reserves, raising questions about the accuracy of the claim.<\/p>\n
The candidate statement also claims Jung \u201cbuilt 9 new parks.\u201d The petition argues this is factually inaccurate, stating that the city has not opened new parks during his tenure. While some park renovations and improvements may have occurred, the lawsuit contends that characterizing these as \u201cnew parks\u201d is misleading to voters.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit asks the court to remove \u201cBusinessowner\u201d from Jung\u2019s ballot designation and to strike the contested claims from the voter information pamphlet, arguing they violate California election law requiring ballot materials to be accurate and not misleading.<\/p>\n
These types of election challenges are time-sensitive, as courts must act quickly to ensure voter information is finalized before ballots are printed. The case does not determine wrongdoing; rather, it asks a judge to decide whether the statements meet the legal standard for being misleading under state law.<\/p>\n
The filing comes amid broader scrutiny of Fullerton\u2019s finances, including a recently identified $2.9 million accounting error and projections showing declining reserves. Those issues have become a central point of debate in recent City Council meetings.<\/p>\n
As of now, Jung has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Petition for Writ of Mandate CONFORMED Like Loading…<\/p>\n
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