Tuesday's Elections: Latest Campaign Allegations Between Jimmy Gomez and Luis Lopez

Over the past few months, allegations and counter-allegations of wrongdoing have characterized the race for the 51st Assembly District between candidates Jimmy Gomez and Luis Lopez. Here are the latest charges made by their respective campaigns, days before the candidates face voters on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Luis Lopez campaign statement, Nov. 1:

Today, the director of one of LA's most influential tenants' rights groups expressed concern about the thousands of dollars that Jimmy Gomez, a candidate for Assembly, has taken from another outside interest group. Jimmy Gomez took thousands from landlords and the landlords trade group to fund his campaign, and did so while running to represent a district with tens of thousands of low-income renters, including many seniors who rely on rent-control laws to protect themselves in these difficult economic times. 

We are deeply concerned by the significant contributions Jimmy Gomez has received from the corporate interests fighting our rent control laws," says Larry Gross of the Coalition for Economic Survival*. "Landlord interests clearly believe that Jimmy Gomez is a candidate who will support them in efforts to weaken laws and deny renters their rights. Tenants should be aware that their vote on election day in the 51st District might have a direct impact on the future of rent control and their tenants' rights."

*= for identification purposes only. 

Jimmy Gomez campaign statement, Nov. 2:

An official FPPC complaint was filed with the Fair Political Practice Commission (FPPC) against Luis Lopez for failing to comply with the law. Under FPPC regulations, Assembly candidate Luis Lopez is required to be reported on his employer’s FPPC Form 635 – Lobbyist Employer Report. To this day, he has purposely neglected to do so.

“What is Luis Lopez hiding? Why does he think he is above the law,” said Mike Shimpock, Gomez’s campaign spokesperson. “This violation is another black mark on Luis Lopez’s credibility. From day one, Luis Lopez has been running a dirty campaign full of lies and mudslinging. And now it comes to light that he is breaking the law. The residents of the 51st Assembly District deserve better than Lobbyist Luis Lopez.”

While Jimmy Gomez has been talking about the issues that really matter to the community: jobs, healthcare and education, Luis Lopez has been hiding the truth from voters.

Jimmy Gomez is the clear choice of voters of the 51st Assembly District. A recent poll finds Jimmy Gomez poised to win resoundingly on November 6th. It shows him with an insurmountable lead of 13 points.

Click here to view a topic page listing all our past articles about the 51st Assembly District race.