The leading Republican contender to replace Gavin Newsom, in the event the California governor is recalled next month, now faces an inquiry from state regulators.
Following a complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, officials are investigating whether conservative talk radio host Larry Elder failed to disclose income sources.
The timing of the investigation is unclear, even as ballots are being cast across the state ahead of the Sept. 14 gubernatorial recall election.
The California Democratic Party filed the complaint against Elder, alleging the 69-year-old failed to disclose some aspects of his personal finances. The commission now is looking into it, under the state's electoral transparency rules.
"Something is amiss," San Jose State University Professor Emeritus and KCBS Radio Political Analyst Larry Gertson said on Monday. "We're not sure exactly what it might be."
Gertson said an investigation finding something "awry" could pose problems for Elder if he is elected to replace Newsom. The governor will be recalled if a majority of voters opts to remove him from office, and the replacement candidate with the most votes will assume the state's highest office.
In other words, Elder wouldn't need majority support to replace Newsom. To Elder's slice of the Republican Party, Gerston said a state investigation likely won't matter.
"You can kind of look at the Elder issue the same way you look at (former President) Donald Trump," Gertson said. "A coterie of voters (are) going to be with him no matter what."
A hint of this investigation came when California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber determined that Elder didn't complete his forms entirely, according to Gerston.
If it's a question of someone failing to fill in a box or mention a modest income source, Gertson said you will usually get a letter from the California Franchise Tax Board. So, the announcement could indicate a sizable amount was intentionally omitted.
Gerston said investigators need to be as transparent as they can.
"The question now becomes how soon they'll have any answers," Gertson said.
An Elder campaign spokesman on Sunday called these investigations "very common in the campaign world" in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
"We made a simple mistake, and we fixed it as soon as possible," the spokesman told the paper.
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