The Dalidio Family Trust has launched a public advertising campaign, urging locals to "get the facts" on a civil lawsuit filed on Aug. 31.

The lawsuit alleges wrongdoing on the part of the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association, Responsible County Development LLC, and as many as 500 unknown individuals during both the Measure J era that's the most recent effort to allow development on the family's ranch, which was approved by county voters and the project's earlier measures A, B, and C, which were rejected by SLO city voters.

At its heart, the suit alleges that public funds and time were misused by members of the Downtown Association to oppose measures A, B, and C, and later that Responsible County Development was created to fight Measure J.

Downtown Association officials previously acknowledged in a statement that the body had issued a position statement on the 2004 SLO City ballot measures, but "it was, at the time, unaware that such action might not be permissible" and ceased all activities "once aware that as a city advisory body these activities were possibly improper."

Although the Downtown Association could not be reached for comment as of press time, member Deborah Cash made an earlier statement regarding a similar complaint filed by Dalidio to the Fair Political Practices Commission, that her group "at no time expended public funds or advocated a position with regard to measure J."

SLO banker David Booker, listed on campaign finance reports as the "responsible officer" for the LLC, had no comment.

Attorney James McKiernan, who has represented Dalidio since May of this year, said that a recently launched website www.dalidiofamilytrust.com is meant to clear the air on a complicated subject.

McKiernan expects to begin issuing subpoenas to several banks as early as Sept. 24.

Measure J passed in November 2006, but is the subject of a separate ongoing lawsuit. The project is far from breaking ground.