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Mark Spratt <br /> 2108 North Westwood Avenue <br /> Santa Ana, California 92706 <br /> +1-562-506-6703 / mspratt76@gmail.com <br /> February 3, 2026 <br /> Santa Ana City Council <br /> 22 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> SUBJECT: UPDATED FORMAL COMPLAINT — Systemic Misuse of Public <br /> Funds, Accounting Discrepancies, and Demand for Personal Financial <br /> Restitution (Councilmember Jessie Lopez) <br /> Dear Mayor Amezcua, City Attorney Carvalho, and Members of the Council, <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 /> 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 /> 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 />