Posted on Oct 6, 2022

John McCann, a Chula Vista council member who is running for mayor, alleged Tuesday that his opponent, Ammar Campa-Najjar, is unqualified to run for the post because he does not live within city limits.

At a press conference Tuesday in San Diego, McCann said that his campaign had hired Lawrence Hamilton, a private investigator and former FBI Agent, to find out whether his opponent lives in Chula Vista.

Over the course of 32 nights, Hamilton said at the press conference, he compiled more than 70 videos and photos of Campa-Najjar living with his girlfriend Sara Jacobs at her condominium in San Diego. Jacobs represents the 51st Congressional District. A Democrat, she is seeking re-election in November.

Hamilton said he or his associates kept watch every night since August both at Jacobs’ home and Campa-Najjar’s residence in Chula Vista.

Hamilton provided only portions of the footage, much of which was lacking timestamps, that appeared to show Campa-Najjar entering and leaving an elevator in the parking garage of Jacobs’ condominium complex, sometimes with a woman who appeared to be Jacobs.

The Chula Vista municipal code states that a person running for mayor must be a resident of the city, as well as a registered voter of the city.

In noting the city’s municipal code, the California Fair Political Practice Commission said Tuesday the independent body does not investigate residency-related issues. That is a matter handled by the city attorney’s office.

Hamilton said Tuesday he had not submitted a formal complaint to the city attorney’s office. City Attorney Glen Googins did not respond to a request for comment regarding the enforcement of residency-related complaints.

Campa-Najjar’s campaign issued a statement Tuesday following the news conference, rejecting McCann’s assertion that he did not reside in Chula Vista.

“These claims are a desperate Republican attempt to try and deny the likely outcome of an election before even a single vote is cast. We’ve seen a nationwide effort from Trump Republicans trying to delegitimize the results of free and fair elections, and in Chula Vista as in other places, those conspiracies must be condemned and not dignified.

“There’s no question Ammar Campa-Najjar, a third-generation Chula Vistan and resident of the city beginning in 1993, meets the residential requirements to run for Mayor. Today he lives in the same home as he did while attending high school, community college, and working his first job at his local church. Ammar is not new to this residence, in fact he first started living in this very Eastlake home in 2003,” read his statement.

In November, the candidates are expected to have a close race. McCann, the Republican incumbent who represents District 1, was the top finisher during the June primary election with 31 percent, or 13,500 votes. He will be challenged in November by Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat who previously ran for Congress and who earned 9,900 votes, or 23 percent.

McCann’s wife, Myllissa McCann, said the campaign has paid Hamilton $1,000 for “opposition research.” It is expected to be reflected in the latest campaign finance filings, she added, which are due at the end of this week.

Opposition research is often used by political campaigns to gather information, such as legal, criminal, or financial history, on a political opponent. Trackers, where individuals are recorded or followed, have also been among some of the most popular ways campaigns conduct their research.

Original article: Chula Vista mayoral candidate McCann hired private investigator to look into Campa-Najjar’s residency