City officials in Palm Springs have gotten the all-clear from the Fair Political Practices Commission over a controversial mailer regarding two measures on the Nov. 7 ballot. On Thursday, the FPPC announced it had closed its investigation into possible ethics violations, concluding that city officials did nothing wrong when they sent the information to voters.
"The mailer did not express advocacy nor was it clearly campaign material,'' the FPPC stated. "The content of the mailer is more appropriately characterized as informational rather than campaign material.''
The probe was sparked by a complaint from city council candidate Robert Stone, one of six running for two open seats on the council. He took issue with the mailer for failing to present opposing views for Measures D, a half-cent sales tax, and Measure E, which would extend the current tax on medical marijuana operators to new recreational cannabis businesses.