Santa Clara candidate faces complaint over campaign post

A Santa Clara City Council District 2 candidate is facing questions about campaign posts that feature the branding from the nonprofit she leads. It s prompting the organization to establish new guidance for board members running for public office. Kimberley Williams, who became board president of the Santa Clara Schools Foundation in June, appeared in social media campaign photos taken at the nonprofit’s booth during the Santa Clara Art Wine Festival on Sept. 20. The post from Williams campaign tagged the foundation and photos showed the foundation’s banner and branded tablecloth, giving the impression that the foundation had endorsed Williams. Williams said a campaign volunteer posted the photos without understanding the implications — as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, Santa Clara Schools Foundation is prohibited from participating in political campaigns. She removed the photos from Facebook after learning of a complaint made to the foundation. “I have some youth volunteers who ar