SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY PROSECUTORS filed misdemeanor election charges Friday against Manteca Mayor Gurminder “Gary” Singh and chiropractor Matthew Alexander, weeks after a social media video showed Alexander offering a $50 discount to people who said they voted for Singh.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Singh and Alexander each face two misdemeanor counts stemming from alleged election-related offenses between Aug. 12 and Aug. 31.
The District Attorney’s Office served both men with notices to appear in San Joaquin County Superior Court. Both are due in court Oct. 16 at 1:30 p.m.
One count alleges a violation of the California Elections Code, which prohibits knowingly or willfully offering money or something of value to induce someone to vote or register to vote.
A second count alleges a separate Elections Code violation, which prohibits offering money or other valuable consideration to induce or reward someone for voting for or against a particular candidate or measure.
The charges stem from a video filmed during Singh’s visit to Alexander Chiropractic and Wellness in August.
In the video, Alexander offered $50 off a first visit to anyone who said they had voted for Singh in the Nov. 3 mayoral election. Singh responded, “It does pay off to vote for your mayor.”
Singh later deleted the video from his Facebook page, but the campaign of Jacob Naven, who is challenging Singh for mayor, circulated a portion of it.
Singh calls it oversight, accepts responsibility
Before prosecutors filed charges, Singh said he intended the video to highlight a Manteca business, not promote his reelection campaign or offer anything of value in exchange for a vote.
According to the Manteca Bulletin, Singh said Alexander made the offer on his own and did not coordinate with his campaign. Singh also said he should have been more careful about his response and took responsibility for the oversight.
Alexander separately told Manteca officials he made the offer spontaneously and had not discussed it beforehand with Singh or anyone associated with him. In a letter to the city clerk, Alexander said no one received the discount and that he withdrew the offer after learning more about election laws.
The video had prompted scrutiny earlier this month after Naven’s campaign raised concerns about whether the offer violated election law. The DA’s Office confirmed at the time that it had received a complaint regarding the matter.
Singh is seeking another term as Manteca mayor against Naven in the Nov. 3 general election. The city lists Singh, a Manteca businessman and incumbent mayor, and Naven, a small business owner, as the two candidates for the at-large seat.
The District Attorney’s Office did not announce additional details Friday about its investigation or the evidence underlying the charges.