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Public speaker alleges irregular signatures on mayoral nomination paperwork; mayor calls claims baseless
Summary
During public comment, a resident presented an affidavit alleging that signatures on mayoral candidate nomination papers may have been improperly submitted; the mayor and council stated the claims were previously investigated and called them baseless.
Rancho Santa Margarita — During the public-comment period on Aug. 13, resident Janet Henry read an affidavit alleging that signatures on mayoral candidate Anthony Beal’s nomination paperwork may have been signed by people who were not Rancho Santa Margarita residents and asked the council to investigate possible violations of the California election code.
Henry said she reviewed nomination paperwork and observed signatures from individuals identified as Amanda Beal and Andrew Beal that she believed were inconsistent with publicly available address listings; she asked the clerk and council to closely examine and match those signatures to voter registration records. "These signatures should be closely examined and matched against the individuals' voter registration cards," Henry said as she read the affidavit.
The mayor responded that the claims were "completely baseless and without merit," stating they had been raised before the November election and were investigated by authorities at that time with no action taken. The mayor declined to engage in extended back-and-forth during public comment and reiterated that prior complaints produced no legal findings.
The council did not take an on-the-record investigative action during the meeting; Henry asked that her affidavit be submitted for the public record.
