Audit denied in party race

State Democrats’ new chair rejected request, losing candidate says.

Democratic organizer Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost the race to be the next leader of the California Democratic Party, said the state party has rejected her request for an independent audit of the election.

A statement released by the Ellis campaign Friday afternoon says that it has uncovered “alarming discrepancies and an amassing of ineligible voters” during her campaign’s ongoing review of the ballots cast during the state party’s convention almost two weeks ago.

The Ellis campaign said her request for the audit was rejected by newly elected state party Chairman Eric Bauman, who beat Ellis by just over 60 votes.

“Eric’s rejection of an independent forensic audit is well beyond troubling. If everything was done on the up-and-up, what is there to hide?” said Hilary Crosby, former state party controller and an Ellis supporter.

Ellis has already submitted a separate, formal challenge of the election results.

Chris Masami Myers, state party executive director, said this week that the challenge would be reviewed according to party bylaws.

The party’s compliance review commission, six members appointed during former Chairman John Burton’s tenure, will review the evidence and take oral or written testimony before issuing a ruling this month.

Ellis has called for the party to appoint an interim chair until the challenge is resolved but, in her statement, said Bauman rejected that request.

An attorney for the Ellis campaign also submitted a request to the state party to preserve all of the ballots and other elections material.