Conservative blogger Aaron Park has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Laura Capps, the Santa Barbara Unified school board president running for reelection.
Filed Sept. 23, the complaint alleges she failed to fully disclose if her nonprofit consulting business works with any companies within the district. The FPPC is currently investigating the claim.
Mr. Park has made 11 complaints to the FPPC within the last five years. Six of the complaints were rejected, and only two complaints warranted disciplinary action — which was a warning letter.
His complaints span across five California counties. This is his first in Santa Barbara County.
The only apparent connection to Santa Barbara is Mr. Park’s support of Gregory Gandrud on his blog, Right On Daily, and its Facebook page.
Mr. Gandrud is a Carpinteria resident and treasurer of the California Republican Party. In 2018, he formed Fair Education Santa Barbara, a nonprofit that filed a lawsuit against SB Unified for its contract with Just Communities.
Fair Education dropped the charges Sept. 18.
Ms. Capps issued a statement in response to the complaint, referring to it as a “weak political smear by Fair Education in the wake of their failed lawsuit against the school district and days before the election.”
The statement continued, “I am proud of the state and national nonprofit organizations I work with, which are listed on my website www.lauracapps.com, and filed accordingly. Unlike the candidates backed by Fair Education/Impact Education, I have been transparent about who supports my candidacy and submitted all financial reporting documents.”
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
