Placer Supervisor Shanti Landon avoids fine after campaign violated CA ad rules

Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon’s campaign committee violated California campaign advertising laws by failing to include required disclosures on its social media pages, according to records from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

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The Fair Political Practices Commission opened an investigation July 10 to determine whether Landon’s campaign committee had violated the Political Reform Act’s advertising disclosure requirements.

Four days later, the agency concluded the committee failed to display the required campaign disclaimer on its Facebook page.

California law requires candidate-controlled campaign pages to prominently display the words “Ad paid for by candidate,” followed by the name of the campaign committee.

Rather than pursue penalties, the FPPC allowed Landon to participate in its Political Reform Education Program, which is designed for people with little or no experience with the Political Reform Act who commit minor violations that result in minimal public harm.

To complete the program, participants must take a 45-minute training course, pass a test, pay a $100 fee, complete a survey and correct the violation. Those who successfully complete the program can have their cases closed without a fine or enforcement record.

The commission notified Landon that if she declined to participate, it could seek penalties of up to $5,000 for each violation.

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Landon said the training was a valuable resource and that learning can continue even after taking office.

“Social media and the rules surrounding it are constantly evolving, so I appreciated the opportunity to complete the FPPC’s Political Reform Education Program,” she said. “My Facebook page is not a county-run or taxpayer-funded account, and I remain committed to doing things the right way and serving Placer County with integrity and transparency.”

Landon deactivated her personal and campaign Facebook pages in June after the election. She said the decision was unrelated to the commission’s investigation.

“I just decided to take a break from social media for a bit. I think it’s healthy for all of us to unplug every now and then, and I’ve enjoyed the extra time away,” she said.

Landon said she plans to reactivate her accounts by the end of the year.

The FPPC closed the case July 28 after confirming Landon had completed the Political Reform Education Program and issued a no-action closure letter, ending the matter without further enforcement.

This story was originally published August 5, 2026 at 2:29 PM with the headline “Placer Supervisor Shanti Landon avoids fine after campaign violated CA ad rules.”

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