West Hollywood City Council candidate Heidi Shink is being investigated by the West Hollywood City Attorney’s Office in regards to her campaign misusing funds.

Heidi Shink

The West Hollywood City Clerk’s Office has accused Shink’s campaign of using money raised for the March 3 General Election during the run-up to the June 2 Special Election.

Shink is a current planning commissioner who initially gained notoriety as co-lead singer with Chaz Bono in the band Ceremony. She is running in the special election to replace former councilman and current Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang.

“Our campaign has not only complied with the letter of the campaign finance laws set forth by the state of California and the city of West Hollywood, but the spirit of them as well,” the Shink campaign said in a statement. “Ms. Shink did not run in the March 3 election cycle, and absolutely no monies raised for the March 3 election have ever been spent on this June 2 campaign; this has been verified through our treasurer, David Gould and Co. Our campaign will continue to talk to voters about the issues facing this city and presenting positive solutions to move West Hollywood into the future.”

In a letter drafted by West Holly-wood City Clerk Yvonne Quarker on Feb. 12, the Shink campaign was told it was potentially in violation of city law.

“The information contained in the Campaign Disclosure Statement indicates the campaign’s intention to spend funds in connection with its campaign for the June 2, 2015 Special Election that were raised for the March 3, 2015 General Election, in violation of West Hollywood Municipal Code 2.76.050,” the letter read. “No candidate for city council or committee shall expend contributions received in connection with a particular election on campaign expenses associated with a subsequent election.”

In the letter, Quarker said funds raised between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2014 are under scrutiny do to a campaign document designated for the March 3 election. She also stated that “the Campaign Disclosure Statement for the July 1 through Dec. 31, 2014 period purports to retain over $15,000 in campaign contributions received in connection with the general election and spend those funds on special election activities, in violation of WHMC Section 2.76.050.”

Listed remedies for the violation include returning the contributions, donating the money to a nonprofit or spending the money in “another way consistent with the California Political Reform Act.” The case has since been referred to the city attorney.

“At this point we are investigating it, and then we’ll proceed with whatever action is appropriate,” said Quarker, noting there was not a specific timeline for action and she would not make further comment.

Marco Meneghin, Shink’s campaign manager, said the issue was due to a filing error made by the California Secretary of State’s Office, which issued a correction letter to the campaign from Chris Reynolds, chief of the political reform division.

Reynolds said in the letter that the state “inadvertently issued the incorrect ID number” for the special election committee formed by the Shink campaign.

“That inadvertent, but incorrect, interpretation of the filing as an amendment to the name of the existing [general election] committee, which did not include the words ‘special election’, led staff to simply add those words to the title of the existing committee,” Reynolds said.

West Hollywood City Attorney Michael Jenkins said the issue is still under review, and it requires the examination of “co-mingling” the two election accounts. He said the letter from the state did not address the issue, and would not comment further until after the investigation is complete.