Pringle Aide Named Unindicted Conspirator in Election Scheme

Prosecutors on Friday named a top aide to Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in last year’s Republican scheme to put a spoiler Democrat on the ballot in the 67th Assembly District election, according to papers filed Friday in Superior Court.

Jeff Flint, deputy chief of staff to Pringle (R-Garden Grove), allegedly told a GOP aide that he would get the spoiler candidate to fraudulently sign nominating petitions, according to court documents filed Friday.

Those documents label Flint a conspirator in the scheme for the first time, although grand jury testimony supporting that accusation was revealed last spring.

The investigation has led to guilty pleas from four other people and the indictment of three people.

Rhonda Carmony, the campaign manager for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), was indicted on three felony charges in March for her alleged role in placing Democrat Laurie Campbell on the ballot in the hope of siphoning votes from a leading Democratic candidate and ensuring a Republican victory in the special election.

Renegade Republican Assemblywoman Doris Allen was recalled the same day, and her replacement, Assemblyman Scott R. Baugh (R-Huntington Beach), cast the deciding vote in electing Pringle speaker.

Flint, who was running the recall campaign at the time of the special election, was named in a motion that prosecutors filed Friday in the felony election fraud case against Carmony.