Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Carol Gamble pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Friday for falsifying nomination paperwork, her attorney said.
DA investigators earlier this week said Gamble, a candidate for the City Council’s District 3 seat, signed her candidate nomination paperwork under the penalty of perjury attesting that she had circulated the paperwork and collected the nomination signatures on it. But multiple people who had signed the nomination paperwork told investigators that she did not circulate it or witness their signatures, the DA said.
“Is she embarrassed? Of course. Ms. Gamble is a wonderful and respected woman who devoted decades to create and grow a city she loves,” her attorney, Paul S. Meyer, said in a statement Friday.
Meyer said as soon as Gamble realized her mistake, she contacted the city to correct it. But she was not aware of the “error” until after the deadline to fix it had passed, he said.
“The people who learned of the error held the information until the deadline for correction had passed,” Meyer said. “That was their right to do so. Such is politics in today’s world.”
“The law did not allow a correction,” Meyer said. “She consulted two expert election attorneys who confirmed that the law does not permit correction at that time. She had her lawyer notify the DA of her decision to admit the mistake and to resign if elected.”
If elected, the DA’s office said Gamble would not be eligible to serve on the City Council.
Gamble suspended her campaign on Oct. 20, saying then that she signed her nomination paperwork “attesting to an inaccurate statement.” But by then, ballots had already been sent out to all registered voters and early voting was underway — and she said she’d resign the position if she is elected.
As part of the negotiated plea, the DA’s office said Gamble’s penalty includes 160 hours of community service, submission of her DNA and a restitution amount that will be determined based on the outcome of the election.
Gamble said she would also return all campaign contributions, something her attorney said is not covered by the plea agreement.
Gamble is the second candidate in Orange County to plead guilty to a misdemeanor this election cycle.
Fullerton City Council candidate Scott Markowitz had felony charges dropped last month after pleading guilty to violating California’s election laws by making a false affidavit, the DA said. Markowitz’s penalty includes one day in jail, one year of probation and 160 hours of community service.
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