SALINAS, Calif. -- Onto Campaign 2012, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office is looking into whether a candidate got the signatures she needed to run for office illegally.
Margie Wiebusch, running for Salinas City Council District 1, signed under penalty of perjury that she witnessed each person sign their name on her nomination petition.
One of those signatures came from Monterey County Supervisor Fernando Armenta.
But the problem is Armenta said she wasn't there when he signed.
"The question is did Margie Wiebusch obtain my signature on her nomination personally herself? And that's incorrect," he said. "It was one of her volunteers and supporters that got my signature on that day."
Armenta said he signed to nominate Wiebusch sometime between Aug. 14 and 15.
"I did not meet with her directly on that day I signed the petition," he said.
But according to documents at the Salinas City Clerk's office, Wiebusch signed that she circulated the petition and that she witnessed all of the signatures.
"It really wouldn't matter if a second person handed it to the voter to sign as long as the petition gatherer witnessed the signature," said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney for the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.
Wiebusch declined on-camera and phone interviews with Central Coast News, but told us she was up against a deadline to get the signatures turned in and was in the car and watched a volunteer ask Armenta to sign the form.
She and Armenta didn't actually meet until several weeks later at a Labor Day event.
Spitz said it will be a judge's call on what counts as "witnessing" the signature.
"I don't want to speculate as to this particular case, because I don't know the facts, but probably if she was able to see the person signing, even though she was not there immediately next to the person, it might still qualify," he said.
Wiebusch barely made it to qualify as a candidate.
She originally submitted 28 signatures for her nomination, but eight of them turned out not to be any good by Monterey County Elections.
Still, she's able to qualify because she met the minimum of 20 signatures.
No formal complaints have been filed with the City of Salinas, Monterey County Elections, or the D.A.'s Office.
Spitz said the D.A.'s office will investigate the claims.
The penalty for perjury is up to four years in county jail and a $5,000 fine, Spitz said.
Elections officials said the attorney general would have to weigh in on the case if charges are filed.
For now, the race for Salinas City Council District 1 will continue Tuesday as planned.
Wiebusch is running against Jose Castaneda and Joshua Kuzmicz.
