Patrick Jones Reveals Alleged Threatening Call to Assistant Registrar of Voters Brent Turner

Former Shasta County Supervisor, Redding City Councilmember, and Mayor Patrick Jones made a startling disclosure during a Sunday morning appearance on KQMS radio’s “Poke the Hornet’s Nest” with host Nick Gardner. Jones detailed what he described as illegal harassment directed at Assistant Registrar of Voters Brent Turner by county personnel.

According to Jones, Turner recently received a phone call from someone in Shasta County’s Support Services Department—believed to be an individual named Jennifer—who read him his Miranda rights: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.” The caller then accused Turner of falsifying time-cards.

The context, Jones explained, is that Turner is battling Stage 4 cancer and has been undergoing radiation treatments while continuing to perform his duties. He has worked from home under a formal accommodation, handling critical tasks such as calls to the Secretary of State’s office and resolving election-related issues. As a salaried employee, Turner does not use time-cards. Jones emphasized Turner’s background: a liberal from San Francisco with a juris doctorate, who has advocated for election integrity through open-source software.

Turner has since filed a civil rights lawsuit against the county. Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis, also an attorney with years of experience (in New York and Florida), has filed suit as well. Curtis was also appearing on the radio show and vowed to pursue accountability in court.

Alleged Connections and Qualifications Concerns

Jones drew connections between the situation and Supervisor Allen Long, his wife Margaret Long (County Counsel for Trinity County), Shasta County Counsel Joseph Larmour, and Joanna Francescut. Larmour previously worked under Margaret Long. Francescut, who was recently contracted as a consultant to Trinity County’s elections office, is a longtime figure in Shasta County elections and is currently challenging Curtis in the June 2 primary.

Jones asserted that Francescut does not meet the standard minimum qualifications for a Registrar of Voters position in California, citing her high school diploma. Shasta County reportedly adjusted its eligibility criteria to allow qualification with 5 years of experience in the elections office rather than a college degree. He characterized Allen Long and his wife's relationship with Francescut as friendly. He also noted Supervisor Long’s vocal opposition to Curtis over the past year. Margaret Long has a history of engaging the Oppenheimer Investigations Group in Trinity County, and Larmour attempted to use the firm for a Shasta County probe last year—prompting Jones to warn then-Chair Kevin Crye against it, describing the Bay Area-based group as “liberal/woke” and prone to shoddy work.

Ties to Recent Oppenheimer Investigation Coverage

This situation unfolds against the backdrop of Shasta County’s hiring of the Oppenheimer Investigations Group to probe allegations of managerial misconduct against Curtis. Shasta Unfiltered previously reported on parallels between that investigation and a high-profile Bay Area case in which a teacher sued after what he called a deeply flawed Oppenheimer probe that led to his termination and a later-dropped criminal charge. The firm has faced criticism for its methods, including reliance on a “preponderance of the evidence” standard.

The County recently released a heavily redacted 170-page Oppenheimer report that found some allegations of unprofessional conduct by Curtis to be sustained. A special Board of Supervisors meeting held on April 28 addressed potential censure, but the board ultimately voted to delay any action until after the June 2 election. Public comments included strong support and criticism for Curtis, with Turner and Jones among those speaking. Jones said the report makes accusations, such as Curtis telling an employee, "You look nice today," complimenting them on how they dressed. Another accusation was along the lines of calling the union reps “mommies”.  Jones stated he has called them many worse things.

Jones highlighted what he sees as selective enforcement: the county aggressively pursued the Curtis investigation while ignoring his own complaint against District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett regarding alleged use of county resources in her campaign. His related $56 million lawsuit against the county and Bridgett remains ongoing.

Election Interference Allegations

Both Jones and Curtis described the timing and nature of these actions as potential “electioneering” aimed at influencing the June 2 primary outcome. Curtis stated he is unafraid to take Oppenheimer to court as well, preferring the transparency of legal proceedings to uncover the truth. Jones argued that the County is subjecting itself to lawsuits due to poor management decisions that amount to an effort to smear Curtis and destabilize the elections office.

Shasta Unfiltered will continue monitoring developments in these lawsuits, the ongoing election process, and related county matters.