Anaheim police union PAC suspends Aitken endorsement

The Anaheim Police Association Political Action Committee has suspended its endorsement of Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s reelection campaign while allegations against her are investigated, Voice of OC reported Tuesday.

The decision puts a police union PAC’s support on hold in an Anaheim mayoral race about a month before the election, after allegations involving Aitken’s chief of staff surfaced in a confidential mediation letter reported by TimesOC.

The PAC’s board voted to suspend its endorsement and asked Aitken to take the endorsement off her campaign website until an investigation is completed, according to Voice of OC.

Cesar Aguilar, chair of the Anaheim Police Association Political Action Committee, said in a Sept. 29 news release, "Our endorsement carries significant responsibility. If allegations of this nature had been pending when Mayor Aitken sought our endorsement, we would have likely waited for the investigation to be completed before making a decision. Suspending our endorsement now is consistent with that approach,"

Aguilar also said, "When serious allegations involving discrimination or inappropriate conduct are raised, it is appropriate for us to step back from an endorsement while the facts are being established."

The allegations center on claims that Aitken used a racist slur and questioned the sexual orientation of Berenice Ballinas, her chief of staff. TimesOC reported on a confidential mediation letter sent to the city on Ballinas’ behalf alleging harassment by Aitken and former City Manager Jim Vanderpool, Voice of OC reported. The city had not publicly released the letter as of publication.

Aitken denied the allegation that she used the slur and said she would cooperate with an investigation requested by Councilmember Natalie Meeks. "These allegations are extremely serious, and they deserve to be investigated. I did not use the racial slur attributed to me, and I have always been a champion of the LGBTQ community," Aitken said in a Facebook statement Thursday evening.

The police association represents 400 police officers. The PAC has given nearly $50,000 this year to a committee supporting Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava’s reelection campaign and more than $2,500 in individual contributions supporting Aitken this election period, according to campaign finance records on the city’s website cited by Voice of OC.

Aitken is running against Dr. Imran Sharief and Alfredo Rodriguez. Anaheim officials were expected to hold a regular City Council meeting Tuesday at 5 p.m., with a protest expected outside city hall at 3:30 p.m., Voice of OC reported.