Manteca mayor under probe after video links $50 discount to votes

During the mayoral race in Manteca, California, a video posted on Gary Singh’s campaign page showed local chiropractor Dr. Alexander advertising a $50 discount to anyone who voted for Singh in the upcoming November election. The clip, later reposted by Republican challenger Jacob Naven, sparked a request for a public-integrity investigation by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Singh maintains that the discount was a spontaneous offer by the chiropractor, not funded or organized by his campaign, and apologised for the incident, noting the discount is a standard new-client deal.

Authorities have remained tight-lipped, with the District Attorney’s Office declining further comment and the Secretary of State’s Office directing inquiries to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which also declined to comment. The controversy adds to Singh’s past scrutiny, including a 2006 DEA sting involving his family’s business and prior accusations of conflict of interest over a city council vote. The case highlights California’s strict laws against vote-buying, which classify such offers as misdemeanors or felonies.