Opponent Accused of Campaign Finance Violation by SLO County District 4 Supervisor
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) - San Luis Obispo County District 4 Supervisor Jimmy Paulding has accused opponent Adam Verdin of violating campaign finance rules.
In a press release, Paulding stated he has submitted a formal complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), with a copy provided to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, requesting an investigation into the alleged violation of local campaign finance law.
The release detailed Verdin's approximately $165,000 in campaign donations included $11,800 from Covelop, Inc., a local development firm, that exceeded the maximum amount of $5,900 per donor, per election.
Paulding's campaign release added, "in addition to the apparent over-the-limit contribution, Verdin’s campaign has accepted maximum or near-maximum donations from multiple development-linked donors with active interests in county land use decisions."
Paulding, who is seeking a second term as District 4 Supervisor after first winning the seat in 2022, is calling "for a thorough and impartial investigation into whether Verdin’s campaign knowingly violated contribution limits and whether any additional enforcement action is warranted."
In response, Verdin has denied the allegations and released a statement soon after the accusations became public this week.
In a release, Verdin said, "the Jimmy Paulding FPPC (not FPCC) complaint is incorrect in claiming the Covelop, Inc. contributions to Adam Verdin for Supervisor violate the county’s campaign contribution limits. Supervisor Paulding must not have read the Verdin campaign report, or does not understand the very state campaign law the county adopted in its own county ordinance 3487, that adopted the state law in 2023."
Verdin stated the $11,800 in campaign donations from Covelop, Inc. were allocated for two different elections, the June 2026 Primary Election and the November 2026 General Election.
The South County businessman and pilot who is participating in his first political race said in his statement, "This is perfectly lawful. It is expressly permitted by California Gov. Code 85301, subd.(d) which specifies the contribution limits from a “person” to an applicable local candidate are “per election.” “Primary” and “general” elections are considered separate elections under Calif. Gov. Code 85318(a), a long-standing state law mandate required by the federal courts. See SEIU v. FPPC (1990).
So, a local candidate may raise up to $5,900 for the primary election and another $5,900 to the general election (which may be raised before the general election). $5,900 is the current state legislative candidate contribution limit as of 2021, adjusted by a cost-of-living adjustment in Calif. Gov. Code 83124 for 2026 elections."
District 4 in San Luis Obispo County represents Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Huasna, Edna Valley, California Valley and other unincorporated portions of the South County.
Voting for the seat will be held during the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
A candidate will need to capture a majority of votes in June to win the election. If not, a runoff will take place during the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Whoever wins the race will be sworn in early January 2027.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
