Shady anti-sheriff PAC files new paperwork, revealing connection to Democratic consultant.

The political action committee that ran a last-minute smear campaign against Sheriff Scott Miller before the June 3 primary has made a series of filing errors in its campaign finance paperwork. The latest, though, reveals a deeper tie to Democratic political consultant Chris Marohn, who managed the campaign of sheriff's candidate Mike Richards and also founded the PAC, later claiming it was hijacked by Republicans he didn't know. 

On a committee campaign statement filed by Californians for Law and Order on May 23, the PAC reported spending $200 on campaign consulting services from Megan Theard.

After a story on the PAC's finances—which originated with contributions from the Monterey County Public Defenders Association and Monterey County Assistant Public Defender Donald Landis, Jr., who believed they were contributing cash to influence the judicial race between Andrew Liu and Steve Somers—appeared in the Weekly on June 12, Theard called to say she had no connection to the PAC. (No documentation shows the PAC ever spent money on the judicial race.)

"I'm not a political consultant. I'm not even a registered voter," she said. "I'm a nurse. I'm a mother. I'm a boring registered triage nurse. I have no involvement in politics. I don't know who any of these people are."

In an amended form filed with the San Benito County Elections Department on June 20, the PAC shows it was actually a different Megan who made $200 for "consulting services." 

It's actually Megan Schaub, who is a self-employed web and marketing business consultant, according to her Linked-In page. She's also Marohn's wife. 

Marohn did not respond to request for comment, nor did PAC spokeswoman Amber Johnson.

Schaub was also paid $3,600 by the Risk We Cannot Afford committee, formed to oppose the public water buyout ballot initiative, Measure O. (On those campaign finance forms, she is identified as Megan Marohn.)

Marohn was paid about $9,000 for his work on the No on O campaign.

Marohn resigned from his elected role on the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee just before the primary election. Since revelations of the PAC and its Democratic party leadership ties, another Central Committee member, Omar Perez, has also resigned. Perez is listed as the PAC's principal officer, but said he has little knowledge of its operations.

UPDATE: PAC Treasurer Maria Cid emailed a response to questions about the wrong name appearing on the campaign finance forms: