Letter alleges deceptive voter guides violate state and federal laws
By Miriam Raftery
May 15, 2026 (San Diego) – The California Republican Party has sent a cease and desist letter and threat of litigation to San Diego Assembly member Carl DeMaio, principal officer of Reform California dated May 14.The letter accuses DeMaio of a “coordinated, brazen, and unlawful campaign to deceive California voters into believing your privately controlled slate mailer is an official publication of the Republican Party.” The letter also accuses DeMaio of fundraising under false pretenses and claims the actions violate state and federal laws.
Mailers sent by DeMaio and Reform California state, “WARNING: DEMOCRATS ARE SENDING YOU FAKE REPUBLICAN VOTER GUIDES.” But the Republican Party asserts that DeMaio used the party logo without authorization, included the words “REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT GUIDE.” The voter guide urges voters to support Kristie Bruce-Lane for state Senate, but she is not endorsed by the California Republican Party.
Mailers and social media direct voters to a website, https://republicanvoterguideca.com/, which the Party contends had the navigation header “Official Republican Voter Guide” with the party’s elephant emblem. The Party’s letter also claims the website had a misleading fundraising link.
As of today, that website now has a header reading “Carl DeMaio’s Reform California Voter Guide for Republicans but still includes the Republican Party logo. There is no fundraising link. A footer on the website reads “NOTICE TO VOTERS: THIS DOCUMENT WAS PREPARED BY REFORM CALIFORNIA VOTER GUIDE, NOT AN OFFICIAL POLITICAL PARTY ORGANIZATION.”
ECM has reached out to Reform California to request comment but has not yet received reply.
The Party’s letter notes that DeMaio is “not an unsophisticated political novice” as an Assembly member, Chairman of Reform California, a former San Diego City Councilman, and a candidate previously endorsed by the California Republican Party. “You know full well that the CRP and its county central committees are the only bodies authorized under California law to issue official Republican Party endorsements,” the letter states, adding that DeMaio’s actions “will not be tolerated.”
The California Republican Party’s letter asserts violations of among other things California’s Truth in Endorsements Law, California Elections Code, and willful trademark infringement.
The Party demands that DeMaio confirm in writing by close of business on May 19 that he and Reform California Voter Guide have complied with demands including ceasing any further publication or distribution of the deceptive materials, take down the RepublicanVoterGuideCA.com site as it originally appeared, disable open graph and share images with the party logo and Republican Central Committee Slate, stop soliciting funds in a manner suggesting the money is for the Republican Party, send a corrective communication through all channels used to distribute the mailer, website and texts at issue to clearly state that the guide is not an official Republican Party organization, and provide a written accounting of every dollar in contributions received in response to the “unlawful” solicitations on RepubilcanVoterGuideCA.com and related text messaging campaigns.
Potential consequences and remedies could include criminal prosecution
If DeMaio and Reform California fail to comply, the CRP letter states that the party is prepared to seek “every available remedy” including injunctive relief under the Lanham Act, disgorgement of profits, treble damages, statutory damages, and attorneys’ fees, an action under Elections Code to enjoin the misrepresentation, an action under the Business and Professions Code for restitution and injunctive relief, a complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission which regulates campaign violations, and “a complaint to the appropriate prosecuting authority for the misdemeanor violations of Election Code sections 18360 and 20201.”
The letter warns that “litigation is likely to ensue” over the matter. It warns DeMaio, Reform California, its treasurer April Boling, counsel, and others acting on DeMaio’s behalf to preserve all documents, emails, text messages, social media and other material including communications with candidates on the mailer and more or face severe sanctions.
The letter is signed by the California Republican Party’s general counseil Ashlee N. Titus.
One Response
DeMaio is such a narcissist! when you send a letter telling them to remove you from his mailing list he sends out more junk.
This guy is taco junior laws do not apply to him!