Candidate (R) accused of election fraud sues SLO County, clerk-recorder

An Arroyo Grande woman charged with nines count of election and voter fraud — including eight felonies — who is also running to be San Luis Obispo County’s top elections official is suing the incumbent candidate for allegedly violating her constitutional rights and interfering with her campaign.

Gaea Powell filed a $1.5 million federal lawsuit against SLO County and Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano on Oct. 28, according to court records.

The complaint alleged that Cano abused her power as a county official by confirming a District Attorney’s Office election fraud investigation into Powell’s residency status to The Tribune during the 2024 election.

In October 2024, Powell was running to be mayor of Arroyo Grande. When asked by The Tribune at the time about potential investigations into Powell and then Paso Robles school board candidate Hunter Breese, Cano responded that she knew “there is an open investigation for both Hunter and Gaea.”



https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article313628360.html#storylink=cpy