Election 2024

Roy Lee, Candidate for 1st District Supervisor, Calls Out Supervisor Das Williams for Cannabis Contributions

Lee Criticizes Williams for ‘Breaking Promise’ and Accepting Donations from Cannabis Industry

Carpinteria City Councilmember Roy Lee (left) and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams | Credit: Courtesy; Ingrid Bostrom

[Updated: Tue., Feb. 6, 2024, 10:45 am]

The race between 1st District Supervisor Das Williams and his challenger, Carpinteria City Councilmember Roy Lee, just got a little more heated following a statement released by Lee’s campaign “demanding accountability” after recent finance statements showed Williams “broke his promise” by accepting contributions from the cannabis industry.

According to the statement from Lee’s campaign, Supervisor Williams “reneged on his 2019 promise not to accept further contributions from the cannabis industry.”

In 2019, when Wiliiams was facing criticism for the county’s handling of its cannabis regulation, Lee said, “Supervisor Williams publicly committed to halting the acceptance of campaign funds from cannabis operators, aiming to quell concerns over potential conflicts of interest.”

“Despite this pledge, Williams’s latest campaign finance statements show multiple contributions from cannabis interests, a move that has sparked significant concern and outrage among constituents,” Lee added.

Among the recent contributions attributed to cannabis interests is at least one $5,000 contribution from CP1 Supply Systems, Inc. from December 28, 2023. CP1 Supply Systems is a company located on Casitas Pass Road that deals in “Marijuana Sales and Services,” according to the Better Business Bureau.

In his response to the cannabis contributions, Lee expressed dismay at what he called a “clear flip-flop” by Supervisor Williams, stating, “This isn’t just about campaign contributions; it’s about integrity, honesty, and the trust we place in our elected officials. Supervisor Williams’s decision to accept money from cannabis interests after explicitly promising otherwise is a betrayal of that trust. I guess he was hoping we weren’t paying attention. Well, we were … and we deserve better.”

Lee, who supports “sustainable development, public safety, and integrity in leadership,” has been considered an underdog in the 1st District race, though he has gained momentum among those looking for a new leadership style that he says “prioritizes the needs and concerns of Santa Barbara County residents above all else.”

According to the Lee campaign: “In contrast to the incumbent, Lee pledges to maintain a campaign finance record free from the influence of controversial contributions and to advocate for policies that reflect the community’s best interests.”

In response to Lee’s statement, Supervisor Williams said: “Only six percent of our campaign committee funds come from cannabis farmers, the largest of which is from the farmers that have installed the highest density of odor controlling carbon scrubbers of any of the cannabis farms in the entire state of California. I am happy to be associated with those at the cutting edge of the solutions that are allowing us Carpinterians to move past this conflict.”

Regarding the 2019 promise to not accept cannabis contributions, Williams added: “At the time I vowed not to take any donations while their permits to operate were being decided. These ones have been decided long ago.”