California elections chief accused of threats, abuse whereas up for reelection

A Northern California elections official accused of threatening employees, making a hostile office, and improperly mixing politics along with his position is now asking voters to return him to workplace.

Shasta County registrar of voters Clint Curtis will oversee Tuesday’s election whereas concurrently showing on the poll as a candidate, regardless of two investigations exposing his habits in workplace, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

County information detailed accusations he routinely intimidated employees, made remarks about bodily violence, and directed employees to hold out duties they believed may violate election legal guidelines.

“Mr Curtis has demonstrated a transparent sample of unprofessional and abusive conduct towards employees,” county help companies director Monica Fugitt wrote in a single investigation.

She concluded the habits amounted to “pervasive” abuse supported by “a major quantity of witness accounts.”

Fugitt advisable that county leaders publicly censure Curtis and restrict his interactions with staff until one other individual was current.

She additional warned he had “created a hostile and abusive working atmosphere” and steered the county may want a office restraining order to guard employees from continued harassment.

Regardless of these findings, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted in April to not self-discipline Curtis forward of the election.

Curtis, who earns greater than $150,000 yearly, argued he was the goal of a coordinated effort by former deputy registrar Joanna Francescut, whom he fired and who’s now difficult him for the job. 

“The outdated employees, there was fixed contact with Francescut,” Curtis stated. “She even manages to get … into my inside messaging service.” 

The controversy is the most recent chapter within the political upheaval that has remodeled Shasta County lately.

Curtis, a longtime skeptic of digital voting programs who was appointed to the place in 2025 regardless of by no means having administered an election, has repeatedly drawn headlines for clashes with reporters, help for election-fraud claims and different political disputes. 

One investigation discovered Curtis made campaign-related cellphone calls whereas at work and verbally harassed staff.

One other detailed complaints from employees who stated he incessantly joked about punching, slapping and even killing individuals who annoyed him.

A number of witnesses reported listening to him threaten to “throat-punch” others. Curtis denied the allegations and insisted staff have been trying to undermine him.

“I can’t depart that place with the individuals which are there and count on that the election be held accurately,” he instructed supervisors. “They’re attempting to sabotage it.” 

Some supervisors who opposed self-discipline cited the timing of the election, although they urged Curtis to cease making inflammatory remarks.

“Knock it off with these off-handed feedback,” Supervisor Kevin W. Crye instructed him. “They’re not humorous. They’re not humorous.” 

Now voters within the deeply conservative Northern California county will determine whether or not the controversy surrounding their elections chief is purpose sufficient to take away him from workplace.

Francescut entered the ultimate weeks of the race with a major fundraising benefit, having raised greater than twice as a lot as Curtis, in keeping with marketing campaign filings.

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