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Mark Spratt <br /> <br />Santa Ana, California 92706 <br />+ <br /> <br />February 3, 2026 <br /> <br />Santa Ana City Council <br />22 Civic Center Plaza <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: UPDATED FORMAL COMPLAINT – Systemic Misuse of Public <br />Funds, Accounting Discrepancies, and Demand for Personal Financial <br />Restitution (Councilmember Jessie Lopez) <br /> <br />Dear Mayor Amezcua, City Attorney Carvalho, and Members of the Council, <br /> <br />I am writing to update my formal complaint of October 7, 2025. Following <br />the comprehensive analysis provided to this Council by resident Dale Helvig <br />on January 14, 2026 (attached), it is now clear that the misuse of Ward 3 <br />discretionary funds by Councilmember Jessie Lopez is not an isolated <br />"technicality," but a systemic pattern of violating City Policy and potentially <br />State Law. <br /> <br />I. Confirmation of the Jurisdictional Violation <br />• The City’s official accounting confirms that $3,000 of Santa <br />Ana sales tax revenue was used by Councilmember Jessie <br />Lopez to sponsor an event held in Anaheim (the Latino <br />Muslim Unity event). <br />• This expenditure represents a material breach of the City’s <br />Special Event Sponsorship Policy, which explicitly mandates <br />that funds be used for events within the City of Santa Ana <br />or those providing a direct, measurable benefit to our <br />residents. <br />• Exporting $3,000 to a neighboring jurisdiction while the <br />Councilmember is actively campaigning for State Assembly in <br />that same city is a flagrant violation of the policy's prohibition <br />on "politically oriented" sponsorships. <br /> <br />II. Demand for Personal Financial Accountability <br />• Repayment of these funds from a remaining office budget is <br />unacceptable; that is merely moving taxpayer money <br />between accounts. <br />