Publisher’s Note: The following is an excerpt from a communication to the El Dorado Community Foundation from a Fallen Leaf Lake resident.

I am very concerned about a fund you recently started for Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District. It is my understanding that the fund has $30,000 deposited and another $52,000 pledged.

I want to inform you of the role of this fund in the politics of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District (CSD) and the extent to which the fund is being used for purely political purposes. At the September 5th meeting of our CSD, Director Mike Kraft was very clear that it was money coming from your foundation that would enable the CSD to directly manage its store and marina facilities, replacing the current concessionaires who have been in place for 14 years and who have the overwhelming support of the Fallen Leaf Lake community.

In fact, the entire purpose of the recently set-up fund was to influence the outcome of the CSD vote on September 5th, a vote which was to determine whether to move forward with a renegotiated contract with the current concessionaires, or to implement a CSD-run operation. Director Mike Kraft referenced a letter from your foundation and clearly stated to the community that without the funds from your foundation, he could not vote for a CSD-run operation because the financial risks would be too great; however, with the money from your foundation, anonymously donated and only to be released if the CSD voted to for a CSD-run operation of the store and marina, he could vote for what he and a small minority (donors?) of the community wanted. The money coming from your foundation most definitely influenced the political process of the meeting and the outcome of the final motion made, seconded, and voted upon.

This fund which you have established was set up for the purpose of manipulating the political process at the September 5th meeting of the CSD. As you know, California and Federal law prohibits 501C non-profits from actively participating in political activities unless they are specifically incorporated as a political action committee.

The activities at the September 5th CSD meeting were serious enough to potentially jeopardize the non-profit status of your foundation. I know your foundation does incredible work, and I have absolutely no desire to put your foundation at risk. I do request that the particular Fallen Leaf Fund be closed, and its funds returned to the anonymous donors.

Thank you for understanding the seriousness of this situation. Please inform me of the action you will take on this matter.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Spurlock, Fallen Leaf Lake resident