San Luis Obispo County woman facing nine election fraud charges

[RandySF]

A San Luis Obispo County woman is facing nine election fraud charges related to the 2022 and 2024 elections. Prosecutors filed charges of voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, failure to file campaign finance reports, and for perjury by declaration against 62-year-old Gaea Powell.

She allegedly registered to vote at an address in Arroyo Grande where she did not reside as required by law. Instead, she lived in the county on the outskirts of Arroyo Grande.

Powell also failed to file campaign finance reports while spending more than $2,00o on her 2024 Arroyo Grande mayoral campaign against Karen Ray Russum. The race ended with Russum leading 64.32% to 35.68%.

“The integrity of our electoral system depends on all participants following the law, and my office will not tolerate attempts to undermine that integrity through fraudulent conduct,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Ms. Powell’s alleged actions over multiple election cycles represent a serious breach of the public trust, and these charges demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable anyone who attempts to manipulate our elections processes.”



https://calcoastnews.com/2025/06/san-luis-obispo-county-woman-facing-nine-election-fraud-charges/

[tulipsandroses]

1. Color me not surprised as to which side she belongs to

This is behind a paywall, but I think its safe to say that she's probably not a Democrat.

Voters have a clear choice for mayor and council in the city of Arroyo Grande, where two highly qualified candidates face two challengers who are more concerned about pushing their personal agendas than they are about the business of local governance.

In the mayor’s race, challenger Gaea Powell has been on a crusade to rid public school libraries of materials she considers pornographic. Never mind the city has absolutely nothing to do with school district decisions.

Read more at: https://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/editorials/article293048204.html#storylink=cpy