Did Supervisor Robert Rickman Spearhead a County Donation to a Political Group Fronting as a Community Non-profit?
On September 5th, the Tracy Press ran a story, “Supervisors approve grant for cultural group,” detailing Supervisor Robert Rickman’s effort to secure a $10,745 grant for Tracy REACH (Residents Empowered Advocates of Change).
Tracy REACH’s president is Rosario Patrick Arulappan.
The following is excerpted from the non-profit's Mission Statement, as posted on its website.
It's worth highlighting the statement, "We work with our elected officials and advocate for important issues for our citizens. We believe in mobilizing our residents...", as it sounds more like lobbying and political organizing than charitable work.
Arulappan, a political ally of Supervisor Rickman, ran for the San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees this past November as “Rosario Patrick.”
While he lost the race against Dr. Catalina Pina, who received 70% of the total votes, he did receive an endorsement from Supervisor Rickman, which he posted on his Facebook page.
In addition to making political posts on his personal Facebook page, Arulappan also campaigned on Tracy REACH’s Facebook page.
Below are several of those posts, including one for Eleassia Davis’s mayoral campaign.
Did Arulappan's use of his registered nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to campaign during this past November election violate state and federal campaign laws?
A registered 501(c)(3) organization has more stringent restrictions on political campaigning at both the state and federal levels.
In fact, according to the Council of Nonprofits, a 510(c)(3) charitable nonprofit must not engage in any political activity. See below.
According to IRS records, Arulappan's Tracy REACH received its tax-exempt status in April 2024, well before the November 2024 General Election.
A search on the County’s Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure did not return anything for “Tracy Reach,” meaning the organization did not disclose any reports - expenditures, contributions, or otherwise.
In addition, Arulappan made several political posts on social media that failed to the "Paid for by..." disclaimer required by state law.
All of this is to say that Arulappan’s social media page for his nonprofit did engage in political activity this past November, and none of it appears to have been reported.
And, while some of this could be dismissed as political amateurism, it takes on a more serious tone when taxpayer monies are being distributed to the entity by the County Board of Supervisors.
TRACY REACH Corporation’s Registry Status with the State Attorney General’s Office is Listed as “Not Registered.”
The “Not Registered” status for Arulappan’s nonprofit raises further questions.
First, WHY is the nonprofit listed as “Not Registered?”
It may be as simple as missing a filing deadline or a fee.
Nonetheless, the nonprofit is currently not in good standing with the Attorney General’s office.
Second, did the County Board of Supervisors know of this status before approving the grant?
Regardless of whether the nonprofit is up to date with the Secretary of State’s office, which we can confirm that it is, shouldn’t someone at the County be doing some due diligence before authorizing grant monies?
We inquired with the Attorney General’s office about the status and are awaiting a response.
We’ll report more on that as new information comes in.
Finally, how will the expenditures for the nonprofit be tracked?
This is a critical question given that Arulappan, while indeed hosting community events through his organization, is also partaking in political campaigning.
How can taxpayers be assured that the grant money will not be used for Arulappan’s political endeavors?
A $10,745 political spend would go a long way in a local election.