Jan Leja

Candidate Biography:

Janice C. Leja
Born: December 3, 1961 in Bristol, Tennessee
Married: ???? (m. 1984), Doug (m. 1987)
Children: David and Jennifer

1989-1991: Member, Beaumont City Council
1991-2000: Mayor, City of Beaumont
1994: A Recall Election against Councilmember Leja was held (Recall Failed) [Leja avoided a recall by 72 votes]
1995: Woman of the Year (65th Assembly District) [selected by Brett Granlund]
1996: Candidate for Riverside County Board of Supervisors (Lost; 49.9%) [Leja lost the election by 212 votes]
2000: Declined to serve the Assembly term to which she had been elected.
2020: Delegate, Republican National Convention

• Legal Troubles: In 2000, Leja agreed not to assume her Assembly seat as part of a settlement with the Attorney General's office, in addition to  pleading guilty to misdemeanor violations in relation to campaign finance reporting. The two charges were violating: Government Code section 84211 [(a) failure to accurately report total amount of campaign contributions, and, (f) failure to accurately report total amount of loans]. Descriptions of the misreporting indicate that the Leja campaign had over-reported contributions in order to 'scare off other candidates' from the election. The convictions were expunged in 2004.
   
  DECLINED TO ASSUME OFFICE: See "Legal Troubles" note above.

Sources: Attorney General's Office Reaches Agreement With Assemblywoman-Elect for the 65th District Over Campaign Finance Violations, by California Department of Justice, 12/1/2000 and Three years after the election, indictments continue in 65th Assembly District campaign by Jim Miller, The Press Enterprise, 11/14/2009