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SACRAMENTO–

California’s Secretary of State’s office is now the latest battlefield in the fight over the City of Sacramento subsidizing the planned new throne for the Kings.

“They were very clear that it was using the voter file to go door to door to sell the energy company to go door to door … and then use that as an intro to try to get people to sign the STOP petition,” said Joshua Wood with DowntownArena.org.

That’s the claim pro-arena, pro-subsidy group DowtownArena.org  says was shared with them by potential petition workers allegedly asked to push Vista Energy.

The group then detailed the claims in a  letter and sent them to Secretary Bowen.

That letter asks her to investigate on the basis that using voter information for the commercial purpose of selling discounted energy tramples state election laws.

“These people approached us independently. The violation of the election code is something we take seriously,” said Wood.

The anti-subsidy group Wood’s challenging, Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork or STOP, wouldn’t respond on camera today but spokesperson John Hyde offered vehement denials by phone.

“It’s absolutely false and without merit,” said Hyde.

STOP’s petition drive to put the Kings arena subsidy or anything like it to a public vote was bruised recently with state-forced revelations.

A lawsuit by the the Fair Political Practices Commission unmasked Chris Hansen, the man who tried to steal the Kings, as the money man funding the first paid signature gatherers for their petition.

Now STOP has hired Momentum Political Services, the same group that hired workers in Hansen’s covert operation, to put more paid petition workers on the street.

Those are the workers Wood’s complaint letter claims were illegally doing double-duty.

“Monica Harris who hired those people will categorically deny this and what she told me is that she will open up her books for reporters,” said Hyde, the spokesman for STOP.

FOX40 went looking for Harris at the Folsom Boulevard address listed for Momentum in recent court filings.

There was no one there, no sign and 411 has no listed number for Momentum.

Discovery Petition Management was the only election-related name listed on the business plaza marquee in the complex was Momentum is supposed to be located.

Momentum is a subcontractor for that company.

Harris’ business was investigated last year for tampering with voter registrations.

After review, the Secretary of State’s office did not refer the matter for prosecution.

The petition signatures gathered with Hansen’s money remain a hotly-contested issue as STOP continues efforts to get its anti-subsidy measure on the June 2014 ballot.

The group had hired attorney Kelly Smith to assist with a variety of issues.

FOX40’s news partners at the Sacramento Bee report one of those issues is obtaining the Hansen-funded signatures.

Earlier this week after being fined for his role in the petition effort, Hansen pledged to “take steps” to keep STOP from getting those names.