Elections Commissioner Tells Shasta County Officials to “Cease and Desist” from Following State Election Law
Patty Plumb spoke to the County Board on behalf of a secessionist movement, claiming local elections officials are “torching the trail behind them” to commit fraud this November. She also openly campaigned against Supervisor Mary Rickert, who’s running for reelection.

Shasta County Elections Commissioner Patty Plumb was one of a number of Shasta County community members who read from a cease-and-desist letter hand-delivered to County supervisors, the County attorney and Registrar of Voters Tom Toller on October 3, just one month before the fall election.
The letter, sent by the Chair of the Shasta County branch of New California State, informed County officials that “you have been placed in the unfortunate position where you are unable to conduct the 2024 General Election without breaking either state or federal laws.”
The declaration stems from a stated belief that AB 969, which was passed as an urgency statute shortly before the March primary, is unconstitutional. Notably, under both the state and federal constitutions, citizens have the right to challenge any law in court, something that has not yet occurred in the case of AB 969.
While it’s not completely clear from the letter what exactly the Board and ROV are being asked to cease-and-desist from, the New California demand is that the County implement a one-day, hand-counted election with limited absentee balloting for the November 5 election, something which would break multiple state laws.
New California, which describes itself as a “new state in development,” is a secessionist movement acting under the auspices of a registered California 501(c)(4) organization. Organizers believe they have the Constitutional authority to establish a new state because “California has become governed by a tyranny”.
As noted in New California’s own materials, the Constitution does not allow formation of a new state without the explicit agreement of the federal government, something which has not occurred. New California’s current plan is to use County Committees, which they say are forming across the state, to form the basis of a new legislature.
The letter is signed by Ron Plumb, the husband of Shasta Election Commissioner Patty Plumb and the Shasta County Committee Chair for New California. Reading from the letter during a County Board meeting on October 15, Ron Plumb warned supervisors that “certifying an uncertifiable” federal election “can reach the level of treason.”

In reality, under state law, county supervisors do not have the power to certify an election, instead they declare results which are certified by the County Registrar of Voters. There is no mention in New California’s documentation of how the organization might respond to actions it considers illegal or who the organization considers a legitimate law enforcement officer, or judge.
Other readers at the County Board meeting included: Linda Glass, an organizer at a recent Bethel civic meeting, Jim Burnett and Antonia Palacio who both testified in support of a dismissed lawsuit against the Shasta County Elections Office; Bev Gray a former Shasta County Elections Commissioner who resigned after voicing a controversial radio ad; and both Ron and Patty Plumb.
Supervisors did not respond during the meeting to the New California letter or to Patty Plumb’s additional statements, which included openly campaigning against sitting Supervisor Mary Rickert, who’s running for reelection.
“We’re really excited,” Patty Plumb said, turning to face Rickert, “that in three weeks things are going to change and you, Mary, won’t be there anymore.” Rickert, a rancher, is running against business owner Corkey Harmon for the District 3 Board seat.
As an appointed Elections Commissioner, Patty Plumb is tasked with helping to oversee fair, nonpartisan election processes. She did not mention whether she was making her comments in her official role as an Election Commissioner. She was chosen for her role on the Commission by Supervisor Patrick Jones.
Plumb also expressed her disappointment in the current ROV, Tom Toller, a former prosecutor with no elections experience who was chosen by a majority of the Shasta County Board earlier this year in an attempt to “restore trust” in the elections process.
“Now we’re being told that we’re going to be forced to trust the system,” Plumb said, referencing statements she says Toller and Assistant ROV Joanna Francescut have made to her about election processes. “. . . everything’s documented by vapor.”
“And this is by design,” Plumb continued. “They’re torching the trail behind them.”
Despite frequent accusations against the Elections Office by Plumb and a small group of others since 2020, no evidence of election fraud perpetrated by Shasta County officials has ever been verified. A lawsuit earlier this year, attempting to do so, was thrown out due to lack of evidence.
Plumb and other members of the Shasta County Elections Commission will meet again on Monday, October 21. The agenda includes a draft recommendation by Plumb and her fellow Commissioner Margaret Hansen, that the Board institute so-called “Citizen Election Judges” to oversee all parts of the election process in efforts to “increase security, transparency, integrity, and the lawful Constitutional process of elections.”
Should the Commission approve that recommendation, and the Board implement it, the entire process of recruiting, training and instituting “Citizen Election Judges” would have to occur within two weeks in order to be in place for November 5, as recommended.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
Comments (45)
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There’s only one way to make Kevin Crye and Chriss Street wince on November 5th…and that’s Vote NO on Measures P & Q. They’re the authors of this seemingly innocent measure, but be aware, they have more things up their evil sleeves and you need to strike back, Vote NO P & Q. Next time you see Street, ask him why he moved to Redding from Orange County. Or just google his name and OJ County.
Oh, and Laura Hobbs, as stated earlier, please seek mental health counseling, for your own sake and your family.
All I have to say is instead of thinking in terms of team Red or team Blue, just think for yourself.
For your mind, as they say and the rest will follow.
Or just comply and be a servant to tyranny and think how they tell you to think.
And to be crystal clear, Shasta Scout is being independent and non-partisan and an independent thinker in my point of view.
What color is the sky in the world these people live in?
I have been sober for 34 years, and the suggestion to read this with a glass of wine is understated. Sounds like a full bottle of wine to me!! Just wondering, were these “NEW CALIFORNIANS” wearing tin hats as they read this cease and desist drivel out loud, in public?? I saw fewer kooks in full blown HALLOWEEN costumes at a huge festival this weekend, than show up weekly, now at these meetings. WILL THE MADNESS never end???
We should also take a close look at Kevin’s pal Mark Mezzano https://fb.watch/vjL6rCt1vA/
Note to Patrick Jones: start packin’, cause you’re headed to Folsom when all the investigation is complete; you and your 3 members of the off-the-wall election commission. I’ve helped more sane clients than those on the election commission, while working at Shasta Psychiatric Hospital.
Question: What do the Plumb’s say to one another when at the dining table…Oh, I know, ‘Hey honey, let’s call our New California guru, Chriss Street, and ask him what else we can do to make Shasta County Great Again !’
Shasta County is not the only county in the state to receive New California’s cease and desist demand. It carries no legal weight, and no county is required to respond to it.
Hi Bob: Can you share what other counties have received it and how you know? Feel free to email me: editor@shastascout.org. Thanks!
I will email you.
Happy citizens,
I see everybody’s getting all excited about the elections coming 17 days away.
Everybody getting all giddy and happy.😜
Well ………….maybe a few meanies are not happy.😡
Y’all get out and vote now! And when you do vote. Vote common sense.
Unfortunately, there’s only one group of citizens that knows what common sense is..
Omg… You don’t mean that it’s Nick that’s the meanie and unhappy do you?
Oh nos
But yes you’re right about using that common sense to vote for Mary Rickert. It’s the most common sensible thing that any law-abiding Shasta county citizen can do. 😏
Wholeheartedly agree!!
We are continually being told that Democrats not only steal elections but have managed to keep any factual proof of the thefts from being discovered. Yet, their past President Bill Clinton couldn’t get a blowjob in the White House without the whole world learning about it.
Sorry, but that damned dog won’t hunt.
The truth Curtis! IF Democrats were stealing elections Hillary WOULD STILL BE OUR PRESIDENT and trump would have gone back to his private grifting and golfing!
Arlene, that was my point more or less.
Does anybody remember the special impound fees that we (The state of California) were mandated to pay to live in rural areas because of the fire danger? I think the fee was $155! I can tell that a lot of the dumb dumbs paid the fee.! 😂😂😂😂😂
Jon, the former chef of Reverge Anselmo, the millionaire who vowed to destroy Shasta County.
To everyone else, if you’re the type of person who believes that they don’t want the tyranny of the state, don’t fall for the stooge who is shilling for the tyranny of an aggravated millionaire…
Pathetic !
This is quite simply Election Interference if it were to attempt implementation, I.e. voted on and affirmed. In its current state of outlandish orders and demands it is Attempted Election Interference. I believe this is in violation of State and Federal laws, punishable by arrest and imprisonment. Bring it.
Lol, made my day.
Great comment!
My comment about the great comment was to Joey Johns.
Still waiting for proof of any of this so-called massive election fraud that is happening.
I mean supposedly it’s so massive, that it’s almost statistically impossible for there not to be some type of proof of election fraud at this point.
People are straight up looking as hard as they can for this massive election fraud, and STILL THERE IS NO PROOF.
Now don’t get me wrong. There have been isolated cases of election fraud and also cases where people have been caught and prosecuted for it.
But this MASSIVE election fraud that is happening everywhere?? Lol
Again, somebody bring forward the concrete proof of this massive election fraud that is occurring.
Anybody??
So, if this chaos is what you want for Shasta County, vote for White Nationialst Neo-Conferate Militia and J.C.K. Cartel-backed Corkey!
And, of course, the Shasta County Election Commission is supposed to be nonpartisan… Yeah right. Lund, Plum, and Hanson, the tRumpian Mr. Pilliow, Douglas Frank, Neo-Confederate Militia, Patrick Jones and his sidekick legal-loser Hobbs (who told the board, “You’re committing treason…”) wacko secessionists who publically threatened Shasta County citizens with this domestic terrorist threat, “It is recommended the Board (Shasta County Supervisors) move on these recommendations (hand count-paper ballots-single-day voting-no mail-in ballots) as quickly as possible, by whatever means necessary, in order to prevent civil unrest.” Really Patty? How Christian of you, I must say. What are you going to do? Send in Glichy with his gun and arrest the supervisors? Or maybe storm the R.O.V. Office with the militia like you did in 2020?
Under the management of Crye, Jones, and Kelstorm, these nut-jobs have spent tens of thousands of hard-earned TAXPAYER DOLLARS to do this illegal BS orchestrated by loser Jones. Because Jones, Lund, Plum, Hanson, Hobbs, and the J.C.K. Cartel keep losing in the courts and the California legislature, and because they have to operate under the laws of California and the United States of America, these MAGA Trumpian nut-jobs are going apeshit. And it would be funny if not that these idiots are losing it so bad they soon might become dangerous to the life and safety of Shasta County citizens!
The F.B.I., California Attorney General, Shasta County Grand Jury, and Secretary of State have all been notified. You can, too, by using these links if you wish. California Election Voter Complaint Form https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/publications-and-resources/voter-complaint F.B.I Election Crimes and Security https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/election-crimes-and-security. Shasta County Grand Jury Request for Investigation https://www.shastacounty.gov/grand-jury/page/request-investigation#:~:text=All%20complaints%2Fconcerns%20must%20have,to%20grandjury%40shastacounty.gov. and the California State Threat Assessment Center at STAC.caloes.ca.gov or by phone M – F, 8 am – 5 pm at (916) 636-2900
The FBI recognizes a Domestic Terrorism Incident as an ideologically-driven criminal act, including threats or acts of violence made to specific victims, made in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal, that has occurred and can be confirmed. Additionally, with less than two weeks before the 2024 election, fear among election workers is palpable. Statistics show that threats to local election officials are surging, up 73 percent since the same time in 2022. see: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/going-to-hang-you-threats-to-election-officials-democracy
If Shasta County Citizens don’t act, the J.C.K. Cartel, its militia, and its election commission will continue to put Shasta County at risk!
Ignorance and arrogance are a dangerous combination; the Elections Commission needs to be disbanded. I sincerely hope District Three behaves rationally and re-elects Mary Rickert. Then maybe we can have some sensible governance and the rabid rabble can go somewhere else to preach their gospel of disinformation and misinformation. Gosh I miss the days when the BOS was boring and Shasta County wasn’t crawling with right-wing loonies.
I agree. I would like the BOS to focus on issues that need to be addressed in our county instead of divisive politics. No one is coming for their guns and religion has no place in government. How much is the election commission (new California movement) costing our county? Reelect Mary Rickert before this current majority bankrupts our county.
I say no left, no right, just balanced as well as it can be balanced. Common sense makes a comeback.
I feel safer around the homeless people in this town. At least you can reason with them.
Well said. All this bickering and finger pointing reminds me of high school days.
https://anewscafe.com/2024/10/18/redding/fast-facts-power-play-kevin-cryes-intimidation-tactics-exposed-did-other-county-departments-endure-cryes-pressure-power-grabs/
3:13 minutes
#DIRECT.HIT
It’s kinda like the surveillance of drop boxes. Somebody will tell you that that’s unconstitutional. Interesting.
Voter intimidation, Jon.
I’m sure you would be the first to argue against a surveillance state. Right??
Having a security camera at unstaffed ballot drop boxes is encouraged in state regulations. See 2 CCR section 20135.
Jolly is correct that the issue is whether filming a voter using a drop box to vote is intended to intimidate the voter. See California Elections Code section 18541.
So, Jon, why do you want to film people depositing their ballots into a ballot drop box?
Is it to detect a person depositing more than one vote-by-mail ballot into a drop box?
Because such activity is legal in California.
California Elections Code section 3017(a)(2) permits a voter to authorize any person to return their voted vote-by-mail ballot.
The person authorized by the voter to return the voter’s vote-by-mail ballot is required to:
1. Write and sign their name on the ballot identification envelope
2. Return the voter’s ballot to the county elections official no later than three days after receiving it from the voter or before the close of the polls on election day, whichever time period is shorter
If a person or group conducts a ballot collection drive, state elections law prohibits them from:
1. Receiving or providing any form of compensation based on the number of ballots that the person returns
2. Displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots, with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box that the voter believes is official collection box approved by an elections official
If you believe you have evidence of a violation of these State laws, you should share this information to the Shasta County District Attorney to determine if there has been a violation of the law.
This is what MAGA government looks like. Rule of Law disregarded, rule of bullies and wannabe dictators pressed on everyone without consent or procedure.
I couldn’t agree more. What gets me is what happened to separation of church and state and these people preaching God this and God that. Who’s god? They’re God or my God? It must be their God. We’ve got to vote these people out they are part of project 2025 and they want to dictate to us how things will operate. It’s time for them to go.
Why dont you want to make America great agian
These people have been “set-up” to do prison time by PJ while he laughs his ass off behind the gun store counter. I smell “straw buyers” . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TU5qS-wafw
How in God’s name is this nonsense allowed to get this far?? The people of Shasta County have the right to know just what evil plans are being made such as a “new California” in the works! This is all part of the 2025 agenda being put in place to destroy our governing laws and common sense laws. I’m sick and tired of it. Our sos are in step with all of it. It makes me sick.
This craziness has got to stop. Dissolve this committee now!
I’m with you 100% why hasn’t this crap been stopped? I feel like I’m watching my home sink into a deep pit and nobody’s throwing me a rope. How are these people getting away with this?
All of those quick to criticize anyone posting something that goes against what they have learned to be true. I ask you to question EVERYTHING!!! We have been lied to at such a gigantic level it’s hard to decipher what is truth and what is lies. All of those codes and statutes you follow are not LAW!!! Codes and Statutes are corporate by laws or “Color of Law” Title 18 USC section 241 Conspiracy, 242 Deprivation of rights under Color of Law!!! We The People are the first 3 words of the Constitution, why??? We The People are above the State and Federal Governments!!! They are there to protect our rights!!!
Don’t believe you have been lied to at a grand scale? Consider this, We know that every war since Napoleon has been funded on both sides by the same bankers. Our revolutionary war was after Napoleon. Who won the Revolutionary war? I contend British won the war. Our judicial branch of government are controlled by The Crown of England through Titles of Nobility, an Esquire is a Title of Nobility. Lawyers take the BAR exam to get their BAR license to practice LAW. BAR = British Accreditation Registry!!! The Crown of England has always controlled one branch of our government. Prove me Wrong Please!!!
The fact that you’re even able to post your comment proves you wrong.
If a secret shadow government had as much control as you’re trying to say, you wouldn’t even be allowed to express your comment.
It would be removed and they would be waiting for you outside of your house.
What a bunch of moronic nonsense. 1.
The American Revolution ended a decade BEFORE the French revolution, and Napoleon was only an army officer at the start. 2. The BAR exam has gets it name from the physical bar that used to divide courtrooms, and has absolutely nothing to do with the British Accreditation Registrar, which is an international auditor, and doesn’t have a damn thing to do with US Law.
💯💯💯
What’s to stop someone from using their same logic, claim that “New California” is a tyranny, and form in its place, “New New California”?
Why is anyone paying ANY attention to what these loons say?
I say trust this new California. I think everyone is getting nervous right now….and rightfully so. I feel this is an opportunity to revamp and restructure some far outdated and unhelpful paper. I don’t like the rushing and I think it could be held over till next time after all more time means more careful. We all know the hurry up offense is not the wisest strategy. This could be set for years to come if it is innovative and practical in its creation. Trust and believe this will be a blessing if we are careful.