Prosecutors visited the station seeking material that might have information regarding the $6 million 2000 Measure F bond campaign. The bond was passed in order to rebuild the fire station. The district attorney's office has been investigating the fire district for four months relating to purported misuse of campaign funds.

"The implication is that money for the bond measure is not being used correctly, and they are also investigating the bond process—how it came to be put together and divided up," said Assistant Fire Chief Ron Vega. "They can have access to whatever will resolve this issue. I feel confident that nothing illegal occurred."

Santa Clara County District Attorney George Kennedy said he was not at liberty to comment on the case while it is still open.

However, fire district officials did comment that the investigation is linked to campaign finance questions stemming from the hire of Catherine Lew, founder and president of the Oakland-based Lew Edwards Group, which has worked on multiple bond measures in Saratoga. In addition, there is concern relating to the hire and payment of David Sharp, who was recommended by Lew and then hired by the fire district to work as an additional campaign coordinator.

Lew, who was unavailable for comment, worked as the district campaign coordinator throughout the bond process. It is suggested that Lew was paid with public funds, which, if true, would be in violation of state law that prohibits spending public money on campaigns.

The investigation was supposedly sparked by a call by Don Whetsone—a member of the bond oversight committee—concerning campaign spending, said Saratoga Fire Commissioner Bob Egan.

Although the computers are due back soon, fire station staff are concerned about the investigation process.

"Our concern is that if there was ever financial information needed, why didn't the district attorney's office ask us for it before seizing it?" asked Egan. "As far as we are concerned, no one acted illegally. While organizing the bond measure it was all aboveboard and we made it as public as possible." Thus, Egan said, station staff are willing to give as much information as they can.

Saratoga Mayor Nick Streit had no comment on the district attorney's raid or the investigation. However, he did state that the investigation had "no bearing on the city council's involvement with the fire station."