Supporters of an initiative to repeal California's gas tax are demanding an investigation into road workers campaigning against the initiative.
The "Yes on 6" campaign said it has filed an ethics complaint with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the State's Fair Political Practices Commission.
Workers in Caltrans uniforms were handing out "No on 6" flyers to drivers along State Route 78 between Julian and Ramona on August 28.
The group released video and images of the section of road and it shows men in construction gear handing out sheets of paper urging voters to vote against the proposition.
“I’ve never seen such a blatant violation of state law,” said former San Diego City Councilmember Carl DeMaio.
DeMaio serves as chair of the Yes on Prop 6 organization and said Caltrans broke state law by using taxpayer money for campaign activity.
“You cannot use taxpayer resources for a political campaign,” he explained.
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Voters will decide whether to pass Proposition 6 in November which would repeal the car and gas tax and make sure any future car and gas taxes be approved by voters, not the legislators.
Caltrans Director Laurie Berman responded to the allegations.
"Caltrans is looking into the matter, but it is our understanding that these individuals were private contractors, not Caltrans employees. Regardless, the Department does not condone political advocacy or the distribution of campaign information on work project sites and is contacting its contractors to remind them of this," Berman said.
SB 1 added tax to regular and diesel fuel and increased vehicle registration fees from $25 to $175.
It's estimated SB1 would raise $52.4 billion over 10 years for road repairs and public transit improvements.
