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The California Fair Political Practices Commission has launched an investigation into Sequoia Union High School District Area B Trustee Mary Beth Thompson, according to documents obtained by this news organization. She represents parts of Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont.
A letter sent to Thompson’s campaign on Nov. 25, 2024, states that the FPPC received an anonymous complaint accusing her of failing to report expenses for campaign events and T-shirts, as well as underreporting costs for a mailer.
The FPPC’s Enforcement Division opened its investigation on Jan. 10, 2025.
“I am cooperating fully with the FPPC and look forward to their resolution,” Thompson said in an email to this news organization.
The complaint includes screenshots from Thompson’s campaign Instagram showing two campaign events and her wearing a campaign T-shirt.
After being notified of the complaint, Thompson amended her campaign finance reports, adding $5,000 in flyer expenses and about $100 for campaign events.
Thompson was elected to the Sequoia board on Nov. 5, 2024, with nearly 64% of the vote, far ahead of runner-up Jacob Yuryev. Yuryev raised $43,000 for his campaign, more than double Thompson, who raised $18,000.
Thompson is not the only Sequoia board member under FPPC investigation.
Trustee Amy Koo is under investigation for allegedly omitting an expense for a mailer. She told this news organization that was an unintentional error caused by not receiving an invoice before the filing deadline.
Tonga Victoria, who ran unsuccessfully for the Area E seat representing North Fair Oaks and East Palo Alto, is under investigation for allegedly mixing campaign funds with personal funds, failing to file paperwork for donations, and using a fraudulent FPPC number. She called the accusations “mischaracterizations” and “inaccurate.”
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