Section 4: Statements on Calaveras County Public Corruption

September 24, 2024 - Part 1 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. Subject: General Public Comments on Endemic Negligence of Calaveras County Government's Fiscal Responsibility. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner. My website is Calaveras2024Election.com.

I’ll be appearing at this podium several times today to address significant concerns pertaining to items on today’s Consent Agenda and Regular Agenda.

These concerns primarily relate to Calaveras County’s current and future fiscal health and well-being, the County’s short-and long-term financial priorities, and the persistent inadequacy and lack of vision demonstrated by the elected leadership of this County’s government.

It troubles me greatly that four of the five Calaveras County District Supervisors are currently under scrutiny by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for their respective violations of the Political Reform Act, each having failed to file legally required FPPC forms and causing harm to the community and to the political process by their lack of transparency.

Supervisor Garamendi deserves praise as the only one of the five County Supervisors that made a consistently credible effort to get his legally required FPPC filing responsibilities met.

That fact pattern has been well established here, by my previous appearances before the Board of Supervisors.

That fact pattern is also well documented on Calaveras2024Election.com and @Calaveras2024Election social media channels, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

This Board of Supervisors, with four of its five members under FPPC scrutiny with open complaints, and two of its five members with those complaints against them having been escalated to open and pending cases by the FPPC, lacks the moral authority to commit large sums of funding, yet as we’ll experience later this morning, the Board of Supervisors will proceed to do exactly that.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 2 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition of ITEM 4. Approve a Resolution adopting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 County Budget for the County of Calaveras, excluding the distribution of Transient Occupancy Taxes to Calaveras Chamber of Commerce and Calaveras Visitors Bureau. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

Since I launched Calaveras2024Election.com in the Spring of 2023, I have published THIRTY blog posts on the subject of Calaveras County government’s institutionalized negligence of fiscal responsibility. 

On April 9, 2024, and again on August 27, 2024, I addressed critical county budget issues specific to how funds allocated to the new District Attorney’s office can be reallocated to the design and completion of a long overdue and desperately needed animal shelter.

As you’re aware, five million dollars has been approved for the proposed new district attorney’s office, which is expected to cost six million dollars. 

On September 20, 2024, I published to Calaveras2024Election.com the eighty-second blog post, which is an easily Googled detailed report, titled “County Supervisors and DA Barbara Yook Ignore Evidence of Calaveras Visitors Bureau Corruption.” 

Mounting evidence reveals the District Attorney's office is blatantly and transparently ignoring formal complaints and accusations of corruption previously submitted, and made in her very presence - and on the record - in this room as she appears to prioritize the assurance of the design, construction and completion of her new office complex over formal written requests to investigate endemic government corruption and fiscal malfeasance within the local legislative and administrative body that holds the purse strings for her new office complex.  

The Calaveras District Attorney is undeserving of a new facility due to dereliction of duty and selective enforcement of laws designed to hold public officials accountable. 

The six million dollars in new DA office funding should be reallocated, thereby ensuring ten million dollars-plus in funding for a new animal shelter. 

The how and why, which I have explained to this board, can be easily ascertained by Googling the titles of these two blog posts: 

Negligence of Fiscal, Public and Animal Safety in Calaveras County, published April 10, 2024.

Calaveras Supervisors Remain Committed to Animal Cruelty, published August 27, 2024. 

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 3 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition of ITEM 8. Approve a Resolution adopting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 County Budget for the distribution of Transient Occupancy Taxes to the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com. 

On March 14, 2023, I addressed this Board in opposition of an Agenda Item appearing to be a pretext for a $50,000 gift from TOT funds to the Chamber of Commerce.

I voiced my staunch opposition to the outlandish proposal, because the evidence led to a deceptively worded agenda item and credible allegations of backroom dealings between the Board of Supervisors and Chamber leadership.

On June 30, 2023, I published to Calaveras2024Election.com, highly detailed forensic financial analysis reports after examining the Chamber's IRS tax filings back to 2004, revealing a Chamber that reported annual operating deficits, with expenses exceeding revenue, losing between $4,300 to $65,000 per year for ten out of 18 years. 

Google:
Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce Revenue/Expense Analysis-Part 1 

or 

Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce Revenue/Expense Analysis-Part 2

My investigation, which lead to Grand Jury, California Attorney General, and Calaveras DA complaints, revealed a well-corroborated fact pattern; the standard operating procedure of Calaveras government is one of institutionalized endemic corruption borne of duplicity, backroom dealings and influence peddling by, and between, the Supervisors and the conflicted leadership of multiple business bureaus.

On December 12, 2023, the Calaveras government entered into an agreement with the Chamber, under, I allege, a ruse the $50,000 TOT allocation would be used, to promote tourism in the west end of the County… through to June 30, 2026, which is the responsibility of the CVB. 

The facts allege the $50,000 TOT allocation is really an effort to prop up a Chamber, plagued for decades by gross mismanagement and financial ineptitude from a revolving door of unqualified executive leaders, which, according to my research, is now on its fifth CEO in five years. 

On March 14, 2023, I asked you, What is the Chamber’s justification for holding out a tin cup for taxpayer funded welfare? Today I gave you the facts, putting it on the record again.

A Chamber of Commerce is supposed to be staffed by the best and most experienced business leaders in the business community. If a Chamber has repeatedly exemplified that it cannot make and manage money for itself, for 20-years, when will it make and manage money for its membership? 

Again, as I said on March 14, 2023, if the Chamber needs money, let it propose a business plan demonstrating how they’ll deliver an acceptable ROI on a low interest, $50,000 SBA loan.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 4 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition to ITEM 9. Approve a Resolution adopting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 County Budget for the distribution of Transient Occupancy Taxes to the Calaveras Visitors Bureau.

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com. 

As stated to this Board previously, the leadership of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, in league with willfully negligent and deceptive County Supervisors, allegedly continues to engage in ongoing efforts of fraudulent misrepresentation that continues to jeopardize the County’s financial integrity.

As the record shows, the CVB misrepresented its nonprofit corporation type as a public benefit nonprofit corporation in the four-year, million dollar-plus Tourism Promotion Agreement with the County, finalized, under false pretense, in August 2023.

This, despite the CVB having surrendered its public benefit nonprofit corporation status with the DOJ and Secretary of State in July 2021, upon conversion to a mutual benefit nonprofit corporation.

I have cited credible allegations of negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation by the leadership of the CVB, of which D3 Supervisor Huberty is the Executive Director, and who is subject to an open and pending FPPC investigation, to this Board from this podium, as well as the Angels Camp City Council, regarding the conversion of corporation type and other matters of CVB malfeasance and mismanagement a total of 18 times since my first appearance before this Board on February 14, 2023. 

On September 13, 2024, I submitted a Public Records Act request for the “CVB's “ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION & BYLAWS AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES” // Revision 5 – July 2024.”

The responsive document I anticipated receiving was expected to clearly indicate the date upon which the CVB's Revision 5, July 2024 bylaws were received and recorded by a named employee of the Calaveras government.

The CVB's Revision 5, July 2024 bylaws, posted to GoCalaveras.com sometime in July 2024, appears to be a poorly edited and prematurely-approved draft still displaying glaring errors and omissions, misrepresenting – in at least one instance – the CVB's nonprofit corporation type, and it appears to have not been received and recorded by a named employee of the Calaveras government. 

Therefore, the so-called updated Revision 5, July 2024 CVB Bylaws reveals the bureau is still operating, illegally, without valid bylaws, as an outlaw business bureau, which is how I described it on June 1, and, I reiterate, the CVB's ongoing fraudulent misrepresentation continues to jeopardize the County’s financial integrity. 

A thorough forensic financial audit of the two-point-four million dollars in TOT revenue the CVB has received since Huberty’s mid-2019 hire is demanded for Calaveras taxpayers.  

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 5 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition of ITEM 22. Authorize the Interim Director of Public Works to execute Contract Change Order #60-02 to contract 1200-2103 with Sukut Construction, LLC in the amount of $1,249,500. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, Publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com. 

Supervisor Tofanelli, you recently voiced your frustration concerning the latest change order request for the Wagon Trail Project.

You questioned why both the project manager and the construction manager were caught unaware of the project’s cost overruns pushing its price tag to $53 million.

You were quoted last week in the Calaveras Enterprise as having stated, Do we not have people out there on foot watching what’s going on and not seeing it? 

It appears that you were operating under the reasonable expectation – but a falsity – that there were competent, proactive, fiscally responsible people in place – people out there “on foot” – in your words – watching – to serve as good stewards of the people’s trust and tax dollars.

Well, I want to share an observation with you.

At the last Board of Supervisors meeting – that exchange of glances between you and Supervisor Stopper at the conclusion of my public comment – was most revealing.

Supervisor Stopper realized that I’d revealed him to the State for his serial campaign finance violations of the Political Reform Act, and he also realized that I’d leveraged his prior formal warning of financial penalties by the California FPPC for any future infractions.

He also knows that I served him notice his career as a district supervisor was concluding, that he’s no longer electable, and this is his final term.

Supervisor Tofanelli, your Wagon Trail question, asking, Do we not have people out there on foot watching what’s going on and not seeing it? - is also appropriate as it now pertains to the calamity unfolding within this Board of Supervisors concerning the harsh reality that four-fifths of the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors is now under State scrutiny for their respective FPPC campaign finance filings, and two members of this Board have already been elevated to open and pending case status with State investigations in process.

My question to all of you is this… Does this Board even have the moral authority anymore to approve expenditure(s) of more funds for the Wagon Trail Realignment Project without an independent forensic audit first occurring?

Unfortunately for the entire Board of Supervisors, except for Jack Garamendi who demonstrates that he actually personifies FPPC legal filing responsibilities, I, me, was out “on the ground” monitoring all of your FPPC filings and doing my duty as a conscientious citizen to report four of you to the State – just as you deserved.

Yes, I’ve watched what’s going on and it is shameful.

And, lastly, what labor union and local are the workers represented by?

My name is Christopher Buttner, Publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com." 

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 6 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition of ITEM 23. Authorize the Board Chair to execute Amendment 14 to Agreement 1200-1806 with Dewberry Engineers Inc. increasing the maximum amount payable by $578,262.81 for a total amount not to exceed $3,379,288 and extending the term through December 31, 2025. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.  

I object to the chair authorizing the execution of Amendment 14 to Agreement 1200-1806 with Dewberry Engineers Inc., increasing the maximum amount payable by $578,262.81 for a total amount not to exceed $3,379,288 and extending the term through December 31, 2025.

I have every expectation that the chair will ignore my objection to authorizing the execution of Amendment 14 to Agreement 1200-1806 with Dewberry Engineers Inc.

That said, it takes a lot of nerve or lack of self-awareness – or perhaps both – for this Board of Supervisors consisting of four serial campaign finance filing violators –  four elected officials who cannot even meet the basic minimum requirement for timeliness, accuracy or honesty in their legal responsibility to the State – to be spending hundreds of thousands, and now millions of dollars, on a project that is now nearing a one-hundred-and-twenty-percent cost overrun – spending money like drunken sailors - and we’re not even out of Phase One of this project.

That’s right… This $24 million project is approaching $53 million dollars.

Where will this end, and how high will it go?

This boondoggle exemplifies the John Hurt quote from the 1997 movie CONTACT, based upon the book by the same name authored by famed astronomer and educator Carl Sagan… “First rule in government spending: why build ONE when you can have TWO at TWICE the price?”

How dare this Board of Supervisors potentially drive this County toward bankruptcy – echoing real concerns vocalized by retiring District 2 Supervisor Garamendi as a real and growing threat to the financial solvency of Calaveras County.

Before any amendments, to any agreements, are authorized there must be a forensic audit conducted to determine how and why a project manager and a construction manager were unable to effectively manage the project, construction and these cost overruns.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 7 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition to ITEM 26. Receive an Update from the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

Here's the only thing I wanted to hear from the Chamber of Commerce in their update, because the Chamber is hosting a Calaveras Candidate Debate forum tomorrow morning, September 25, 2024 at 8:30 am.

Now that the Chamber is in receipt of another $50,000 tranche of taxpayer money, I wanted to know if the Chamber debate moderator will ask the four candidates, of which one is an incumbent currently under scrutiny by the State of California Fair Political Practices Commission for alleged violations of the Political Reform Act, about campaign integrity issues, specific to the timely and accurate filing of FPPC Campaign Finance forms. 

My allegations of campaign finance violations presented to the FPPC against two of five Calaveras Supervisors – Huberty and Folendorf – have both been upgraded to commission-initiated complaints triggering State cases – currently open – investigating their suspicious campaign finance filings.  

Supervisor Tofanelli is subject of an FPPC complaint for allegedly falsifying the claim of a late filing being an amendment to a non-existent prior report, additionally, alleging he committed perjury by falsely claiming his late filing to be an amendment to a non-existent prior report.  

Supervisor Stopper is the subject to an FPPC complaint for alleged violations of the FPPC's campaign disclosure provisions of the Political Reform Act for allegedly not filing termination forms for his 2018 campaign committee, nor filing Form 470 Officeholder and Candidate Campaign Statement Short Form for 2023, and failure to file Form 497s for two labor union campaign contributions to his 2018 campaign.

Now, imagine if the FPPC should convert the remaining two complaints against Supervisors Tofanelli and Stopper into active State cases for campaign finance violations, making the majority - four of five - Calaveras supervisors concurrent subjects of active State cases for campaign finance violations, thereby potentially rendering the Calaveras County government invalid or illegitimate. 

So here’s the question… Will Supervisors Tofanelli, Stopper, Huberty and Folendorf be asked to resign from office if the FPPC determines they are serial violators of the Political Reform Act?

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

September 24, 2024 - Part 8 - Full Calaveras County Board of Supervisors hearing segment on Wagon Trail Realignment Project additional funding requests.

• ITEM 22. Authorize the Interim Director of Public Works to execute Contract Change Order #60-02 to contract 1200-2103 with Sukut Construction, LLC in the amount of $1,249,500. 
• ITEM 23. Authorize the Board Chair to execute Amendment 14 to Agreement 1200-1806 with Dewberry Engineers Inc. increasing the maximum amount payable by $578,262.81 for a total amount not to exceed $3,379,288 and extending the term through December 31, 2025.  

This is 59-minutes in duration, but it is well worth your time if you want to know how your tax dollars are being wasted.

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

October 8, 2024: Christopher Buttner’s General Public Comments to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on the Murphys Gathering, the Murphys Witch Walk, LLC and the Revelation of Martin Huberty's Willful and Malicious Suppression of innovative entrepreneurialism and tourism business development.* 

• Christopher Buttner is the publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com and co-owner of Murphys Witch Walk 

“My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

The following statements are evidence-backed facts…

On October 19, 2024, a public event is scheduled to be staged in Murphys that has been branded “The Murphys Gathering.”  

The event is produced by the Calaveras Visitors Bureau and the Murphys Business Association.

My comments today are for Martin Huberty, as a reminder that his past words and actions taken against me, in his conflicted role as the Executive Director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, remain current, and have caused me direct, quantifiable business harm.

The “Murphys Gathering” event has its origin in, and is an infringement of, my Federal (United States trademark registration number 6733568) and California (California Secretary of State Electronic Certificate of Registration of Trademark/Service Mark 02031240) protected trademarks for both my company and for my brand, Murphys Witch Walk, of which I am the co-owner.

I invested four years and tens of thousands of dollars, entrepreneurially creating two businesses during the Covid lockdown. Murphys Witch Walk proved so successful, it injected over one million dollars in tourism revenue per occurrence into the Murphys and Calaveras economies over three iterations of the event from 2019 through 2022. 

On October 29, 2021, Martin Huberty, Executive Director of the CVB, indiscreetly placed a call to my business partner in my other fledgling tourism-promotion venture.

I allege that Martin exhorted my - now former - partner to sever ties with me, informing her that she’ll never again be able to book any business with Calaveras companies if she did not do so.

Efforts to undermine my Murphys Witch Walk began in June 2021.

I allege that a libelous document (read it here) was distributed by the executive director of the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance… at that time, Sandra Hess, now Sandra Beals, (https://dtcwineworkshops.com) who verbally admitted to me on October 23, 2022, that she acted under pressure from the membership of the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, of which Martin Huberty and Merita Callaway (former Calaveras County District 3 Supervisor and predecessor to Martin Huberty) were both Board members (Callaway remains as Treasurer on the 2024 Board of Directors and is also a Group Member of the CWA Finance Team).

I later found out, through verbal admissions, in the presence of witnesses, and email communications between Huberty, Callaway and myself, they too, were allegedly involved in this effort to undermine my Murphys Witch Walk.

This harassment campaign against my business ventures and personal and professional reputation were inclusive of intentional and concerted attacks of Defamation of Character, Tortious Interference, Restraint of Trade, Trade Libel, False Light and Trademark Violations, (as well as Civil Rights violations), all backed by well substantiated primary source evidence. 

Refer to Sheriff Harassment Report number 22-080007, I filed against Huberty on January 4, 2022. 

This statement will be soon be a video clip published to MurphysWitchWalk.com and Calaveras2024Election.com, as well as MurphysGathering.com and CalaverasVisitorsBureau.com, as I own the latter two domain names, because Huberty failed to purchase them, so I did so. 

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com and co-owner of the Murphys Witch Walk.”

Moreover, how did he get elected as District 3 Supervisor and why is he receiving two full-time salaries for such inferior results?  

• *Refer to Christopher Buttner's February 14, 2024 first appearance before the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors addressing the subject of "The Willful Suppression of Calaveras County Tourism Development and Innovative Entrepreneurialism" during General Public Comments. 
• Refer to the "Willful Suppression of Innovation and Entrepreneurialism" section of Calaveras2024Election.com citing 22 blog posts on the subject).
• Refer to "Calaveras County's Pedophile Problem" - Published October 3, 2024.
• Refer to "Your Tax Dollars... Squandered for Five Years and Counting. Supervisor Huberty's Many Conflicts Lead to 18 Vote Recusals." - Published October 2, 2024. 
• Refer to "County Supervisors and DA Barbara Yook Ignore Evidence of Calaveras Visitors Bureau Corruption." - September 20, 2024

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

October 22, 2024 - Christopher Buttner's General Public Comments on the subject of systemic, endemic and institutionalized Calaveras County Government Corruption. A recitation of a detailed list of complaints filed with County, State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.  

"My name is Christopher Buttner. This is my 34th statement to the Board of Supervisors since February 14, 2023. 

The failure of this government to enforce and abide by the ethical standards set forth in the Codified General Ordinances of the County of Calaveras, in part, has led to the creation of Calaveras2024Election.com, launched in May 2023. 

Thus far, I have published 121 reports and hundreds of social media posts detailing repeated breaches of ethical protocols and oath of office, dereliction of duty, and the abdication of fiduciary responsibilities by a concerning number of elected and appointed Calaveras government officials, revealing a compelling argument this government’s modus operandi is based on systemic and endemic government corruption. 

My interactions with County, State and Federal law enforcement agencies include; 

• Seven Fair Political Practices Commission complaints resulting in two open and pending investigations, so far.  
• Four Grand Jury Complaints and Five Calaveras District Attorney complaints - all non-responsive.
• Three California Department of Justice complaints. 
• Four California State Bar complaints. 
• One California Commission on Judicial Performance Complaint.
• One California Civil Rights Department Complaint. 
• One Federal Trade Commission complaint.
• Six Cease and Desist demand letters addressed to conflicted elected officials and colluded business bureau directors for Defamation of Character, Tortious Interference, Restraint of Trade, Trade Libel, False Light, and Trademark Infringement, constituting numerous Civil and Constitutional Rights violations. 
• Multiple Calaveras Sheriff harassment reports submitted against the District 3 Supervisor and business bureau directors. 
• One FBI complaint. 
• I am contributing my reporting to the strengthening of an existing Senate Bill that intends to further reduce pay-to-play and conflicts of interest corruption in local government citing the actions of Calaveras County’s elected and appointed officials as the real world, worst case examples of alleged endemic and institutionalized California county government corruption.  
• You’ve motivated me to write and seek sponsorship for my “No Safe Harbor for Child Predators” Senate Bill, which includes stiff penalties for public officials and employers prosecuted and convicted for using their respective positions of power of office or employment to provide protective cover for adjudicated pedophiles.  

On election day, November 5th, Calaveras citizens should consider voting for alternative outsider Supervisor candidates instead of colluded cronies and incumbents in order to recalibrate Calaveras government onto a course of integrity, functionality and fiscal responsibility. 

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

November 26, 2024 - Christopher Buttner’s General Public Comments to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on the Excessive Number of Alleged Violations of the Political Reform Act by Four of Five Calaveras County Supervisors.  

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

I’ve stood before this Board of Supervisors numerous times.

Of the many credible, evidence-backed allegations I’ve leveled against the endemic and economically corrosive corruption embedded in the Calaveras government, and the numerous ethically compromised and corrupt individuals responsible, not once has any allegation of mine been challenged or refuted, and not once has there been any acknowledgement by the Board of Supervisors, CEO, County Counsel, District Attorney or Grand Jury, of my blistering allegations.

Why is that? Because my allegations are factual and damning.

As 2024 concludes, let’s revisit a few allegations beginning with the two district supervisors who are up for re-election in 2026.

Ben, it’s over for you. This is your final term. Expect no leniency from the State’s investigation of your numerous violations of the Political Reform Act. 

It’s very reasonable to now anticipate you’ll be fined tens of thousands of dollars for your many and repeated failures to comply with filing requirements for your Fair Political Practice Commission forms, despite having received explicit written warning from the State for your previous filing deception.

Martin, it’s been over for your political career since you took the oath of office in January 2023. This is your first and final term as D3 Supervisor. 

You collect, but do not earn, two full-time taxpayer funded salaries for producing mediocre part-time results. You are the subject of an FPPC Political Reform Act investigation, and the subject of multiple legal actions initiated by me, having filed harassment claims against you with the Sheriff’s Office with my claims backed by irrefutable evidence.

Of your many unethical acts, I allege that you as Executive Director fraudulently misrepresented the CVB’s nonprofit corporation type for three years while repeatedly obtaining taxpayer TOT funding, and you’ve yet to be held accountable for repeatedly deceiving the public, and the governments of Calaveras County and Angels Camp.

Gary, you’re currently under FPPC Political Reform Act scrutiny for fifteen alleged violations, under circumstances echoing Ben’s and Amanda’s, for your repeated disregard and failure to accurately and timely file your FPPC forms.

Amanda, you’re currently under FPPC Political Reform Act investigation for your many repeated failures to comply with accurate and timely filing requirements of your FPPC forms.

When you take the oath of office in January for a second term, you’ll do so under a dark cloud for credible allegations of you having absconded with over eighty four hundred dollars in union campaign contributions to your 2020 campaign.

None of you four scofflaws should have any voting privilege or any authority over a nearly four hundred million dollar annual budget, yet there you sit.

My name is Christopher Buttner. The website has been rechristened Calaveras2026Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

December 10, 2024 - Part 1 - Statement by Christopher Buttner, publisher, Calaveras2026Election.com during General Public Comments - Calaveras County District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper’s behavior violates decorum and demeans civility.

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com.

During the November 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Stopper was caught on video, recorded by Calaveras Public Access TV, engaging in text messaging on a mobile device multiple times while seated upon the dais during the General Public Comments portion of the agenda.

Stopper’s repeated texting throughout the meeting’s agenda was construed as a potential violation of the Brown Act. A public records request was filed with Stopper, County Counsel, and HR and Risk Management, seeking all text messages initiated and received by Stopper during that meeting.

In a particularly egregious instance, Stopper appeared sufficiently engaged in texting for any observer to see that he was distractedly texting prior to the conclusion of a constituent’s General Public Comment statement.

I was the constituent to whom Stopper displayed a profound lack of respect.

Stopper was rudely texting while being addressed by me, a constituent presenting damning facts concerning the State’s scrutiny of his numerous Fair Political Practices Commission violations and his future viability as an elected official. 

Stopper’s disrespect toward a constituent further demonstrates either his denial or his lack of self-awareness concerning his potential legal predicament with the FPPC for his numerous alleged violations of the Political Reform Act.

The responsive document to my public records request confirmed that Stopper was exchanging text messages from the dais with one of his constituents seated in the audience.

That constituent – curiously – had a personal financial interest, and stood to gain benefit, from the Board’s approval of agenda items #18 and #19 (click on links to read each agenda item description) concerning the conversion of his family trust land from Agriculture Preserve to a Williamson Act contract.

Stopper had an ethical obligation to recuse himself from voting on those two agenda items due to his pre-existing relationship with his constituent and the appearance of conflict of interest.

The responsive document received from County Counsel to my public records request further revealed that Stopper and his constituent had exchanged text messages during my General Public Comment.

I’ll share that exchange with all of you now…

CONSTITUENT texted the following: “Buttner says you’re done!!!” [With 3 exclamations !!!]

STOPPER texted in reply: “Yep… His beautiful dome glows so brilliantly”

Seriously Ben? You’re an elected County Supervisor. You’re not some giggling little schoolgirl sneaking an exchange of slam notes with your crush about a classmate’s appearance while the teacher is not looking. Your public behavior upon the dais violates decorum and demeans civility.

Hopefully, you’ll see the wisdom in stepping up to this podium right now and apologize to your colleagues seated upon the dais – and to all of your constituents, myself included – for the disrespect you’ve demonstrated to your elected office.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

December 10, 2024 - Part 2 - Calaveras District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper - Abuse of Office Revealed: Brown Act Violation. Formal Complaint Against District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper. Request for Modification of November 26, 2024 Meeting Minutes. 

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com.

I respectfully request that the meeting minutes of the November 26, 2024 Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting be amended to reflect the following facts before being voted upon for acceptance by the Board:

• District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper was video recorded text messaging on a mobile device – on multiple occurrences – while seated upon the dais; a potential violation of the Brown Act.
• It is corroborated by County Counsel’s responsive document to my public records request for all of District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper’s digital communication during that meeting, that District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper exchanged text messages with a constituent seated in the audience who had agenda items #18 and #19 coming before the Board for a vote during the meeting. Notably, the constituent had a significant personal financial interest in the outcome of the vote.
• District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper had an ethical obligation to recuse himself from voting due to his pre-existing relationship with this constituent; failing to recuse from the vote and failing to disclose his pre-existing relationship.
• District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper exhibited extraordinary disrespect for his constituents and colleagues – inclusive of his personal denigration of a constituent – me – with Stopper having stooped to a sardonic, ad hominem attack about my shaved head, texting his constituent that “His beautiful dome glows so brilliantly.”

One further point, Ben, in case you’ve been wondering about the status of my open Fair Political Practices Commission complaint filed against you, number 09092024-02978, the FPPC Enforcement Division notified me yesterday, in writing, that the complaint I filed against you for your multiple violations of the Political Reform Act remains under review for opening of an investigation. 

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com."

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

December 10, 2024 - Calaveras District 2 Supervisor-Elect Autumn Andahl Sworn In. Assures “absolute transparency, honesty and integrity.”

"My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com.

Concerning the results of the canvass for the November 5, 2024 California Presidential General Election, the voters selected an enthusiastic political newcomer as their District 2 representative.

The District 2 election was particularly nasty, with the eventual victor, Autumn Andahl, having withstood a challenge to her “transparency, honesty and integrity,” following an orchestrated attempt to impugn her reputation, executed by Carrie Biggs-Adams – a District 2 representative for the Calaveras County Democratic Central Committee - and an avid Trevor Wittke supporter.

Andahl handled those attacks with dignity, exhibiting grace under pressure, as well as exhibiting the qualities of “transparency, honesty and integrity” that she had been alleged to have lacked by Carrie Biggs-Adams.

Congratulations to Supervisor-elect Autumn Andahl.

As for Supervisor-elect Andahl’s opponent, Trevor Wittke, and his supporter Carrie Biggs-Adams having cast aspersions upon Andahl, and having suggested nefarious campaign finance activity occurred, and having exploited Andahl’s rookie mistake and inexperience as a political novice with her FPPC campaign filing violations for Wittke’s short-term political gain – well, that was an embarrassing bust for them that backfired on Wittke.

Carrie Biggs-Adams conflated an unfortunate sequence of non-intentional filing errors on Andahl’s required FPPC campaign documents into a specious implication of intentional lack of “transparency, honesty and integrity.”

In her letter to the editor, Carrie Biggs-Adams is quoted, “I want a Supervisor who understands how to fill out common forms and knows what it means to say they will act with ‘absolute transparency, honesty and integrity.’”

I suggest Carrie Biggs-Adams refocus her ire concerning violations of the Political Reform Act, and express her ire and desire that all Calaveras Supervisors be required to understand and execute their legal requirements for correctly and timely filing their FPPC forms, and to know what it means to act with “absolute transparency, honesty and integrity.” 

(Read: Four Calaveras County Supervisors Are Under FPPC Scrutiny). 

Carrie Biggs-Adams, and Trevor Wittke too, might consider voicing ire where it appropriately belongs – at four incumbent Calaveras Supervisors – Folendorf and Huberty – both of whom have FPPC cases open and pending against them, and Tofanelli and Stopper, both of whom the FPPC Enforcement Division notified me yesterday, in writing, that the complaints I filed against both, respectively, for multiple violations of the Political Reform Act, remain under review for opening of investigations.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2026Election.com.

And Autumn... “absolute transparency, honesty and integrity.”

Click Here to Return to Video Index at Top of Page.

Click Here to Return to PAGE 1 of the Video Section.