County Supervisor Jim Desmond spent nearly $250K in public funds on ads

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who is running for the 48th Congressional District seat, has spent almost $250,000 of public funds in the first eight months of 2026 to promote himself and his political views, Voice of San Diego reported.

Desmond’s office used the funds to boost his presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, sharing videos about his policies, viewpoints, and work in District 5, which covers much of North County. These videos featured high-definition visuals and branding elements similar to advertisements.

The spending included paid promotions on social media as well as television ads on channels like Hulu and HBO Max. The money came from the official budget allocated to each county supervisor, which is around $3.6 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, according to the county communications director.

Records show about $62,000 of the total was paid to Target River, a marketing agency in Utah, with the remainder going directly to companies such as Google, Meta, Disney, and X. All invoices were billed to Desmond or his communications director in his supervisory role.

The county confirmed the policy on managing spending from this fund but did not specify if there are restrictions on how supervisors can use the money or comment on Desmond’s expenditures.