Is coalition concealing dark money in effort to buy SLO County election?

April 17, 2026

Statement from the Adam Verdin campaign for San Luis Obispo County District 4 supervisor

Today, the Adam Verdin for Supervisor campaign issued a demand for transparency from the newly formed “South County Coalition,” calling on Treasurer Dorothy Hines to immediately disclose the secret donors funding a $10,000 “dark money” blitz in support of incumbent Jimmy Paulding.

On April 16, the South County Coalition filed a California Form 496 (Independent Expenditure Report) revealing that it spent $10,174.28 on voter lists, professional services, and mailers to benefit Jimmy Paulding. However, the group failed to list a single contributor, leaving voters in the dark about who is truly financing this late-hour interference .

“San Luis Obispo County voters deserve to know who is trying to buy this election,” said Adam Verdin. “This group popped up in the dark of night, filed paperwork in late March, and is now dropping thousands of dollars while hiding their donors from the public. This is the definition of dark money, and it has no place in our local democracy.”

Under the California Political Reform Act, specifically Government Code Section 84204, committees making independent expenditures of $1,000 or more must file a Form 496. This report must include the name, street address, occupation, and employer of any person who has made a contribution of $100 or more to the committee.

The Verdin campaign points to the following irregularities in the coalition’s filings:

• Missing disclosures: Despite spending over $10,000, Part 3 of the coalition’s Form 496 (“Contributions of $100 or More Received”) was left entirely blank .
• Questionable timing: The group amended its Statement of Organization on March 30, just weeks before launching its primary expenditure.
• Lack of accountability: Treasurer Dorothy Hines and Principal Officer Dorothy Hines are the same individual, yet no information regarding the source of the committee’s $10,174.28 in spending has been provided to the public.
• Dorothy Hines is listed as one of the people who endorses Jimmy Paulding on the Paulding website.

“We are calling on Dorothy Hines to follow the law and immediately amend her filings to show every penny of this dark money,” Verdin continued. “Jimmy Paulding needs to answer for why he is being supported by a group that thinks they are above the disclosure laws of the State of California.”

The Adam Verdin campaign is currently evaluating all legal options, including a formal complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).