The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) won’t investigate 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding’s complaint against opponent Adam Verdin, but the tension over improper campaign contribution allegations hasn’t died down.
“After review of the complaint, the enforcement division will not pursue an enforcement action in this matter,” Enforcement Division Chief Kendall L.D. Bonebrake wrote to Paulding on Feb. 18. “Under the Political Reform Act, primary and general elections are considered separate elections and contribution limits are applicable per election.”
Paulding and Verdin are set to go head-to-head in June when South County voters will select their next 4th District supervisor in the primary election.
The incumbent announced on Feb. 15 that he filed an FPPC complaint against Verdin based on two sets of $5,900 campaign contributions the Oceano businessman received from development firm Covelop Inc.
A single individual or entity can contribute a maximum of $5,900 to one election campaign, according to the FPPC’s limit for 2025-26.
According to Paulding’s reading of campaign documents, Verdin accepted double the legal limit of money for the June election. But Verdin’s campaign earmarked half of the total $11,800 for the “primary” election in June—despite the absence of a third candidate running—and the remaining $5,900 for the general election in November.
Verdin told New Times that although Paulding received the FPPC response on Feb. 18, Paulding allegedly didn’t inform him of the decision until the next day.
“I understand he wants to keep his job but weaponizing a state ethics complaint to manufacture a headline, then failing to immediately disclose that both the FPPC and the district attorney dismissed it, is politics at its worst,” Verdin said. “The fact that it was reviewed and rejected in just 48 hours tells you how unserious it was.”
Verdin previously told New Times that state law requires him to return the money allocated for the general election if it doesn’t take place. The filing deadline for new candidates is March 6.
“Only after this complaint was filed did Mr. Verdin tell KSBY that he would return the second developer contribution if a general election does not occur,” Paulding said in a statement published after the FPPC’s decision. “With the filing period just two weeks from now, I look forward to him keeping his commitment to return that developer contribution at that time.”
Paulding also urged voters to look at the “bigger picture”—that some of Verdin’s top donors are developers. He’s criticized the funding support Verdin’s received from the leaders of NKT Commercial, the group behind the controversial Dana Reserve project.
In his statement, Paulding also pointed to Generation Build founder Michael Massey’s Feb. 17 letter to New Times where he proposed to file a complaint against the supervisor for “political ethics violations and the improper use of taxpayer resources.”
“This group previously claimed it was formed to support housing projects like the Dana Reserve project,” Paulding said. “This race isn’t about whether we need housing. We do. It’s about whether growth is responsible, sustainable, and supported by infrastructure, and whether elected officials answer to residents or to the interests financing their campaigns.” ∆
This article appears in Weddings 2026.