RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, California (CNS) — Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Carol Gamble pleaded guilty Friday, as expected, to a misdemeanor related to her nomination petitions and was ordered to perform 160 hours of community service.

Gamble submitted nominating petitions for re-election to the City Council that violated the law because he did not personally witness the signatures, prosecutors said. If she is re-elected Tuesday, she will be unable to take office and the city will have to hold a special election, prosecutors said.

Her attorney, Paul Meyer, called the situation a mistake and said she immediately agreed to cooperate with authorities.

“As soon as he learned of the error, he contacted the city to correct it,” he added. “The law did not allow a correction. She consulted two expert election lawyers who confirmed that the law does not allow a correction at that time. She had her lawyer notify the (District Attorney’s Office) of her decision to admit the error and resign if elected “

Meyer noted that officials “who learned of the error withheld the information until the deadline for correction passed. They had the right to do so. That’s politics in today’s world.”

Gamble “issued a statement admitting his mistake. He voluntarily agreed to return all of his contributions and did so,” Meyer said. “She said she would resign if elected. None of that is required by today’s statement. It’s all voluntary.”

Meyer said Gamble is “embarrassed” and added that she “is a wonderful, respected woman who spent decades creating and growing a city she loves. She appreciates having been able to work overtime for decades in service. She thanks everyone for the great support and shock at the way the law works here.”

Prosecutors said Gamble, a four-term mayor, agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, perform 160 hours of community service and serve one year of probation.

“American democracy depends on the absolute integrity of the electoral process,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “Voters must have complete confidence that every election is conducted fairly and impartially. Interference in the electoral process in any way and at any stage jeopardizes the will of the people and erodes voters’ confidence in their vote. count.”

Spitzer added: “I refuse to allow anyone to subvert and exploit our electoral process. The decision to file criminal charges against the candidate before the election is not a decision I made lightly, but given the risk to the electoral process, as well as for Faced with the possibility that the city of Rancho Santa Margarita would have to pay for a special election should Gamble be re-elected, there was no choice but to file criminal charges before the election and alert voters of her ineligibility to run. for the Municipal Council.

Fullerton City Council candidate Scott Edward Markowitz pleaded guilty earlier this month to a misdemeanor charge for the same crime and was sentenced to 160 hours of community service.