Mission Viejo voters recall Mayor MacLean

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. In a special election Tuesday, the recall measure passed with 50.4 percent of the votes. Only 21.2 percent, 13,662 voters, showed up to cast ballots.

Printing company owner David Leckness was elected to succeed MacLean on the Mission Viejo City Council.

Recall advocates spent about a year and turned in almost 14,000 signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

They accused MacLean of "anger and incivility" for telling a fellow council member to shut up during a meeting.

They also blasted him for reportedly voting to double his salary and voting to give himself lifetime medical benefits at taxpayer expense after 12 years of part-time council service.

MacLean denied the allegations. He called them "lies and mischaracterization."

He says they were a ploy to tip the balance on the council.

CNS contributed to this report.