State election regulators are investigating San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond for his work in defeating Measure G. half cent sales tax proposal now before local voters.

In a letter released Thursday by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, commission officials confirmed they are moving forward on the complaint filed last month against the North County supervisor.

The investigation, which is not expected to conclude before Tuesday’s general election, is examining conflict of interest allegations against Desmond relating to his work on the No on G political committee.

Records show the commission also investigated a $5,000 political contribution made by Affirmed Housing donor James Silverwood months after Desmond was voted in as director to fund the company.

The sworn complaint was filed Sept. 24 by Barbara Campbell through attorney Richard R. Rios.

“The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Enforcement Division of the Fair Political Practices Commission will investigate, under the jurisdiction of the Commission, allegations relating to the sworn complaint you submitted in the matter referenced above,” the Commission wrote. A letter dated October 16.

“You will receive a notification from us upon final determination of the case,” he added.

Desmond did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But his spokesman issued a statement late Thursday, calling the investigation “a desperate political stunt aimed at diverting attention from the real issue.”

“Voters don’t want to pay more taxes, they don’t trust SANDAG, and a handful of insiders are poised to make millions, while ordinary voters continue to bear the burden,” Desmond spokesman Miles Himmel said in an email.

Silverwood, which is not a target of the government investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to a company spokesman.

Desmond, the former San Marcos mayor who was elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2018, has long been a critic of this situation. San Diego Association of Governmentsor SANDAG.

The regional planning agency would be responsible for spending hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation revenue the nationwide sales tax increase is expected to generate if voters pass Measure G.

SANDAG is currently on topic an unrelated federal investigation.

Desmond said the agency has not shown it can properly manage public resources and misled voters who approved a tax measure aimed at funding public transportation projects decades ago.

“I wouldn’t give SANDAG another dime because they don’t keep their promises,” Desmond told CBS 8. October interview. “They mismanage money. They have a history of mismanagement.”

The FPPC is careful to say that opening an investigation does not mean that the people investigated have done anything wrong. Instead, they considered the elements raised in Campbell’s complaint and determined that a more formal review was warranted.

Who was Desmond? Re-elected in 2022 and will be removed from office as county supervisor within two years, possibly facing fines if he is found to have violated campaign rules.