Contra Costa prosecutors charged school board trustee Jeff Belle in 2015 over a degree claim in his 2014 candidate statement; the case ended without a conviction, dismissed in 2017 after community service

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Jeff Belle, now the Republican candidate in CA-52, won a seat on the Contra Costa County Board of Education in November 2014. His candidate statement said he had earned a bachelor's degree in political science. After his opponent filed a complaint with the District Attorney, prosecutors charged him in 2015 with a fine-only misdemeanor, under Elections Code section 18351 per his attorney (maximum penalty $1,000). He pleaded not guilty and the case did not go to trial. In December 2016 he was approved for a diversion program requiring 20 hours of community service and a declaration signed under penalty of perjury in which he stated he does not have a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma City University; in it he wrote that he believed when he wrote the statement that it was true and that he did not intend to mislead voters. His attorney said the statement used the word 'earned,' not 'conferred,' and that a retired political science dean had confirmed he completed the coursework; she said he accepted diversion because he could not afford a trial. A District Attorney spokesperson told the Union-Tribune in 2026 that he completed community service and the case was dismissed in 2017. Belle has said he believed he had the degree and told the Union-Tribune the case was politically motivated; he says he later completed the degree and showed the newspaper a diploma dated 2019. He remained on the board and lost re-election in 2018.

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