What's at stake:
A new Fresnoland investigation examined the chaos of the March special election for southeast Fresno’s council seat, and dived into connections to a well-known Fresno-area political consultant Alex Tavlian.
Last week, Fresnoland published an investigation about the presence of dark money in Fresno elections. In it, experts explained why the controversy in the March special election could happen again, especially considering the minimal fines handed out to those who break election and campaign finance laws.
Additionally, one expert told Fresnoland the political activity of a company in Orange County appears to be consistent with the characteristics of dark money groups.
Here are five takeaways from the investigation:
1. An Orange County company put thousands into Fresno elections
An Orange County company called FrontPoint Partners, LLC has put more than $15,000 into two Fresno elections. In one case last fall, it donated thousands to a PAC created to attack a political opponent of Luis Chavez, the former city councilmember and current Fresno County supervisor. In another case this spring, the company directly supported Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas’ campaign for southeast Fresno’s council seat.
Chavez and Jonasson Rosas are married. Both declined to comment to Fresnoland and did not respond to a detailed list of questions sent to them.
FrontPoint Partners, LLC has been represented by well-known Fresno-area political consultant Alex Tavlian, according to city documents obtained by Fresnoland. FrontPoint Partners, LLC gave $10,000 to a newly formed PAC last fall, which sent out misleading mailers about Sal Quintero, who was running for reelection against Chavez as the supervisor representing Fresno County District 3.
The PAC, referred to as Neighborhoods for Government Integrity and Accountability Action, paid Tavlian’s political consulting company, Park West Associates, to send out the mailers on its behalf.
Put simply, an Orange County company that Tavlian has represented was the primary funder of a PAC that paid Tavlian’s political consulting firm to send out political mailers attacking the opponent of Tavlian’s longtime client.
Tavlian did not respond to Fresnland’s repeated attempts to reach him, as well as a detailed list of questions sent to him.
The mailer accused Quintero of standing with MAGA Republicans, along with other misleading claims. Quintero, a career Democrat, lost to Chavez, his challenger in the political race last fall.
Quintero told Fresnoland that he had never been associated with MAGA Republicans before the fall election, and seeing his face photoshopped next to President Donald Trump on the front side of an election mailer was a first for the veteran Fresno politician.
FrontPoint Partners, LLC also gave a maximum campaign contribution — $5,500 — to Jonasson Rosas’ bid for southeast Fresno’s council seat. The Orange County company, in the past, has assisted the campaigns of Tavlian’s clients.
2. Chavez inks $100K contract with Tavlian-run company less than two months after misleading mailer sent out
Less than two months after Tavlian’s political consulting company Park West Associates sent out misleading mailers attacking Chavez’s political opponent, Chavez’s city council office awarded a company run by Tavlian a $100,000 government contract.
Tavlian’s government consulting company, Local Government Strategic Consulting, received a $100,000 government contract from Chavez’s council office in December 2024. By then, Chavez had already won his bid for county supervisor and had less than a month left in his tenure on the city council.
Chavez declined to comment when Fresnoland requested an interview with him. He also did not respond to questions about why he gave Tavlian’s company a $100,000 government contract on his way out, two months after the political consultant’s company sent out misleading mailers.
3. Experts say what happened in March can happen again
Can a political group send out misleading mailers, all while failing to transparently reveal the individuals behind the effort — in violation of election and campaign finance laws?
It already happened in March and experts say it could happen again.
“I do think it could be repeated,” said Lisa Bryant, the chair of Fresno State’s political science department. “In fact, it might be likely because once people use a play like this, it exposes the fact that it’s possible for others to do it.”
When Fresno Future Forward’s mailers went out, the PAC never filed required political disclosures with the City of Fresno, in violation of city and state laws. City Attorney Andrew Janz issued the PAC a $1,000 fine for not doing so.
But would a fine of that amount prevent this from happening again? Experts said no.
“If I’m willing to absorb that fine for a small little ethics violation or legal violation, then why not do this again?” Bryant told Fresnoland.
4. Tavlian pays Fresno Future Forward fine with his political consulting company
When the Fresno Future Forward PAC refiled a form in April and identified its treasurer as Alex Tavlian, Janz restarted the 90-day deadline the PAC had to pay the fine.
On July 8, the City of Fresno received a business check from Park West Associates, Tavlian’s political consulting company, paying off the $1,000 Fresno Future Forward fine. The signature on the check was Alex Tavlian’s.
5. Experts say dark money groups aren’t transparent
When researchers talk about dark money, they’re specifically referring to political nonprofits and limited liability companies that don’t reveal who their donors are when advancing political money to various campaigns.
Savvy political donors who do not want their activity to be revealed can donate to these companies instead of campaigns or political action committees, since political nonprofits and limited liability companies are not bound by the same rules that apply to PACs.
A nonprofit political interest group is not required to disclose where its money comes from, according to OpenSecrets, a national research group that examines money in U.S. politics. Although political nonprofits are required to report where they donate their money, that information isn’t revealed to the public for at least a year in IRS filings.
“Because disclosure is very slow and delayed, the information frequently becomes available too late to help the public make their own decisions,” said Thomas Holyoke, a professor at Fresno State who researches American politics, lobbying and interest groups.
There’s even less transparency for LLCs and shell companies, according to OpenSecrets.
