The Shasta County Elections Office appears to be facing legal questions from the California Secretary of State.
Following a surprise closed session meeting of the Board of Supervisors on Saturday June 6, County Counsel Joseph Larmour emerged to announce supervisors directed his office “to release as much information as legally possible regarding an issue that falls under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State’s Office as soon as possible.”
It is, at this point, unknown what issue Larmour was referring to.
Responding to a question about whether the issue involves the elections office, County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis told the Record Searchlight he plans on sending a letter to the “Department of Justice and the Secretary of State” regarding “irregularities in some of our records that individuals seem to be trying to cover up.”
It is unclear how the irregularities Curtis is referring to are involved in the issue discussed by the board or who exactly he meant by saying “individuals.”
Curtis also said “Larmour is steering them in the wrong direction” and that he will be filing a bar complaint against him and reporting him to the Department of Justice for “harassment of an election official.”
It is unknown when the county will release further information on the issue, though Supervisor Kevin Crye said he hopes a statement will be out by Monday.
According to the meeting agenda, the board called the meeting to discuss “Initiation of Litigation: One potential case.”
Prior to entering closed session, Board Chair Supervisor Chris Kelstrom noted that he was the only supervisor that knew the specific reason why the meeting was called.
Laura Hobbs, an employee at the elections office hired by County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis, speculated during public comment that the litigation was “election related.”
“It appears there are more false allegations that have been levied against Curtis,” said Hobbs.
That was as far as Hobbs got in her public comment before Kelstrom informed her that public comment for the item was restricted to discussing “anticipated litigation,” and any comment related to the elections office was not allowed.
The situation escalated further when Hobbs refused to stop discussing the elections office, prompting Larmour to contact law enforcement.
Hobbs eventually sat down, and left the meeting before officers from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department arrived.
Drew Askeland covers Redding and Shasta County government issues, as well as anything else that needs reporting for the Record Searchlight and USA Today Network. Reach him at drew.askeland@redding.com or (530) 225-8247. Please subscribe today to support our newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta elections facing mystery legal issue from Secretary of State
Reporting by Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
