The headline on the news release made it sound like manna from heaven for the Proposition 37 campaign:
"BREAKING: FBI Opens Investigation into No on 37 Shananigans," said the email sent out at 8:55 a.m. Friday, misspelling "shenanigans."
The campaign, which is asking voters to require labels on genetically engineered food, had complained to the feds weeks ago that the No on 37 camp had fraudulently used a logo from the Food and Drug Administration in a campaign mailer.
The email said the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating.
But the whole thing blew over by 10:58 a.m. when the Justice Department issued a statement from the Sacramento office of U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner about use of an FDA seal in the ad.
"Neither the FBI nor this office has a pending investigation related to this matter," it said.
Proposition 37 spokeswoman Stacy Malkan said later that her team had received a phone call from an FBI agent asking about the mailer. But, she said, it turns out it wasn't officially an investigation.
"We have referred the matter to the FDA for any action they believe is appropriate," the Justice Department said.
– Laurel Rosenhall
BY THE NUMBERS
Californians rank 10th in the country for having the longest commute times, taking an average of 26.9 minutes to get to work, recently released census data show. Workers in North Dakota reported the quickest commutes – 16.5 minutes – in the 2009-11 American Community Survey. Maryland commuters had the longest at 31.8 minutes.
– California Watch
WORTH REPEATING
"What it says is the biggest factor in millionaires moving out of California is divorce."
GOV. JERRY BROWN, referring to a tax board study as he tried to persuade Silicon Valley business leaders that his tax-the-rich plan in Proposition 30 will not force wealthy taxpayers to flee
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