Choosing to represent herself in the election fraud case where she faces nine charges, former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate Gaea Powell may get help from a private investigator based on feedback from a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge.
“I’ll take his advice, and he’ll give me an investigator,” Powell told New Times after the Dec. 3 preliminary hearing. “I’ll still be doing my own investigations, but I won’t interview witnesses.”
The SLO County DA’s Office charged Powell for reportedly filing false nomination papers for her candidacy and voting fraudulently during her 2022 and 2024 campaigns for Arroyo Grande mayor. She also allegedly committed the misdemeanor of failing to provide written notification within 48 hours to the secretary of state, the local filing officer, and each of her fellow mayoral candidates of receiving or expending $2,000 or more in a calendar year.
Presiding Judge Timothy Covello expressed concern at the latest hearing after Deputy District Attorney and prosecutor Ben Blumenthal informed the court that Powell planned on being the investigator in her own case.
Often, private investigators can be called as expert witnesses to testify in criminal cases. Blumenthal and Covello said during the hearing that Powell acting as an investigator could also make her a trial witness before the jury.
“I’m really going to urge you to think about whether it’s in your best interest to interview witnesses because it puts you in a situation where you are separate from a defendant,” Covello told Powell. “Depending on how that person perceives you, it could result in other complications. You might want to protect yourself, so someone doesn’t think you’re harassing them.”
During the hearing, Powell told the judge that she doesn’t need an investigator to file subpoenas and interview witnesses.
Powell, who called the court hearings “educational” and said the judge was “amazingly clear,” told New Times after the hearing that she’ll soon submit the necessary documents to request an investigator.
“I’ve given much more study on the law; it’s been fascinating,” she said.
Powell added that she’s studying the law using AI tools like Grok, Chat GPT, and other applications that pop up on her phone. She purchased a new cellphone after the DA’s Office seized her phones to search for evidence.
Judge Covello denied Powell’s motion to order the DA’s Office to return her devices after Blumenthal talked about the potential for evidence tampering. The prosecutor also said his office possesses discovery spanning 5,300 pages.
In addition to a slew of motions Powell filed, she also requested public records from the city of Arroyo Grande, the county Clerk-Recorder’s Office, and the county Administrative Office. The judge denied those motions because such requests must be made before a civil court instead.
In September, the judge granted Powell’s waiver to represent herself in the criminal prosecution, but he shot down her request for an advisory counsel and/or an interpreter who’d translate legalese into common terms for her.
At the December hearing, Powell’s renewed motion to appoint an advisory counsel was also denied. Covello repeated his concern that Powell is confused about the role of an advisory counsel.
Powell also filled out another waiver during the hearing after Blumenthal pointed out that her previous waiver form was incomplete and missing a signature.
“I haven’t seen any indication that you need that [advisory counsel] guidance,” he said. “The court is comfortable with your ability to represent yourself. You’re clearly capable of doing this; don’t take that to mean … it is advisable to do this.”
Powell’s next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2026. ∆
This article appears in Dec 4-14, 2025.
Lock her up!
This is so formula…stall, deny, argue, repeat. She is guilty. She knows she is guilty. I suppose the judicial process is designed to allow her time, but let’s cut to the chase….she’s guilty. Please give her time in the pen.
It’s telling if she can’t even get a public defender to represent her.
Yeah, she’s guilty but we must let the court decide. Regardless of the outcome she’ll play the Republican Victim Card and carry on being a general nuisance in constant need of attention.