Mayor Pro Tem of California City Resigns After Pleading Guilty to Election Fraud

File photo of a voting booth. Nati Harnik/AP Photo

The mayor pro tem of a Northern California city resigned after he pleaded guilty to election fraud, according to local reports last week.

Crescent City Mayor Pro Tem Alex Campbell entered the plea to making a false declaration of candidacy in Del Norte County Superior Court, local news outlet Wild Rivers Outpost reported, citing the city’s clerk’s office.

Campbell submitted a form to the Del Norte County Clerk on Aug. 6, 2020, saying his current address was in Crescent City, when his actual residence was outside the city limits, Deputy District Attorney Eric Bryant told Del Norte County Superior Court Judge Bob Cochran.

He had faced two felony counts of perjury and one count of false declaration of his candidacy, KIEM-TV and Wild Rivers reported, but the Del Norte County district attorney agreed to dismiss the perjury charges.

Campbell faces two years of felony probation and fines of up to $20,000 and restitution of up to $10,000, said Cochran, according to the reports.

Campbell was elected to the City Council on Nov. 3, 2020, before he eventually became mayor pro tempore in December 2020. Campbell is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on April 15.

“So in filing the vacancy, the council has two basic options for them, one is to hold a special election, which can be pretty expensive, or the other, is to appoint someone into the position,” City Manager Eric Weir told KIEM-TV, while confirming that Campbell formally resigned last week. “Which that position would then appointed up until the next general municipal election municipal which would be November of 2022.”

Alex Campbell Del Norte County Sheriff's Office

Campbell didn’t comment following his court appearance last week, as reported by Wild Rivers. He provided a sticker that says “Free Alex Campbell” that appeared to be designed like Monopoly money.

Campbell previously stated that he does indeed have a house in the county, but he claimed he’s renting a room in city limits from a friend of his, adding he’s currently living there. “I’m currently at that house right now,” Campbell told Wild Rivers. “I do have a house (in the county). I stay there occasionally, but my main official residence is on I Street.”

Other details about his case weren’t provided. Crescent City is located in Del Norte County, located near the Oregon-California border in the northwestern party of the state.

Last week, in Aberdeen, Mississippi, a judge ordered a new runoff election for a city alderman seat after more than three-quarters of absentee ballots cast in the June 2020 Democratic runoff election were found to be invalid, while a notary involved in the election was arrested.

As a result, a new runoff election for Ward 1 alderman is necessary, WCBI reported.

Judge Jeff Weill, in a 64-page order, said that there was evidence of fraud and criminal activity in how absentee ballots were handled, how they were counted, and actions from individuals at polling places during the runoff election.