The complaint was filed by Defend the Vote, a pro-democracy and voting rights organization
In the latest salvo of the highly charged District 16 congressional race, a pro-democracy and voting rights group is accusing Assemblymember Evan Low of violating federal law by using funds from his state campaign account to support his congressional bid.
Defend the Vote has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against Low, asking the oversight body to investigate the candidate and his campaign after his state office account — Evan Low for Assembly 2024 — filed a report with the FEC last week noting that it spent roughly $35,000 on advertisements distributed widely across Congressional District 16. Low is running against former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo in an increasingly tense race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo. Defend the Vote has endorsed Liccardo.
Low’s expenditures include an ad buy with Sing Tao Chinese Radio, which airs on two different stations broadcast across the Bay Area. Sing Tao also aired a video on its YouTube channel that Defend the Vote called in its complaint “in substance, a campaign ad.” The video has since been listed as private on the channel.
In the video, which was reviewed by this news organization, the assemblymember touts his accomplishments in the state legislature and ends by saying, “Thank you District 26 for fighting with me, let’s keep California moving forward.” The ad has a disclaimer on it that it’s paid for by Low’s state office account.
“Evan Low is clearly running a campaign ad for Congress with funds from his state campaign committee. You simply can’t do that,” Defend the Vote Executive Director Brian Lemek said in a statement. “It’s plain as day that this is a campaign ad, and despite efforts to hide some of the illegal funds, the paper trail is a mile long.”
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