What's at stake:
Fresno Future Forward and Alex Tavlian could have more coming their way following the FPPC launching an investigation into their involvement in the District 5 special election this year.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has launched an investigation into Fresno Future Forward, a political action committee responsible for sending disparaging mailers in a recent election.
According to an April 17 letter obtained by Fresnoland, the FPPC informed Fresno Future Forward it was under investigation for “potential violations of the campaign disclosure provisions of the Political Reform Act.”
“At this time, we have not made any determination about the possible violations,” the commission said in the letter signed by Assistant Enforcement Chief Christopher Burton.
An FPPC spokesperson told Fresnoland the commission does not comment on open cases and declined to elaborate on specifics.
The Fresno Future Forward PAC has already faced scrutiny for its involvement in the recent Fresno City Council District 5 special election.
Leading up to the March 18 special election, the Fresno-based PAC sent mailers out to the council district’s residents, alleging then-candidate Brandon Vang “engaged in statutory rape.”
Vang vehemently denied the allegations. He won the District 5 election outright, outperforming Elizabeth Jonasson-Rosas and two other candidates on the ballot.
The disparaging mailer turned many heads, including ones at the Fresno City Attorney’s Office. A week before the end of the March 18 election City Attorney Andrew Janz exposed Fresno Future Forward for not filing required forms with the Fresno City Clerk.
In a March 10 news conference, Janz said the group violated both the California Political Reform Act, as well as section 2-1105 of the Fresno Municipal Code.
The very next day, Fresno Future Forward filed its first disclosure form, listing Riley Moore as its treasurer. According to another filing, Fresno Future Forward spent $4,439.51 on mail-related costs. Additionally, it expressly identified its purpose as opposing Bandon Vang’s campaign.
Vang was not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.
But then, a month later, the PAC changed the name of its treasurer in an April 10 filing, instead listing Alex Tavlian — a well-known local political operative.
Tavlian was not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.
Tavlian has worked on campaigns and other issues with city councilmembers in the past, including Councilmember Mike Karbassi and former District 5 Councilmember Luis Chavez, who is the spouse of Jonasson-Rosas.
Last year, ethics experts expressed concern to Fresnoland after learning of Tavlian’s involvement in Fresno’s police chief scandal. A Fresnoland investigation uncovered that Tavlian has political and financial ties to Jordan Wamhoff, the police officer whose wife had an affair with former police chief Paco Balderrama.
Tavlian worked on Wamhoff’s 2022 campaign for Madera County supervisor, and Tavlian’s firm Park West Associates was paid more than $100,000 for its work to help get Wamhoff elected.
Two years later, Tavlian then published on his website, SJV Sun, an unauthored report detailing Wamhoff’s allegations against Balderrama, all while keeping Wamhoff anonymous and without any disclosure of Tavlian’s ties to Wamhoff.
Janz issued a $1,000 fine to Fresno Future Forward in March, which, in a May 6 episode of the Fresnolandia podcast, he said has still not been paid. The PAC has until mid-June to pay the fine.
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