The Ventura County Republican Central Committee acted within the law when it spent nearly $20,000 on last-minute mailers to its members to boost then-candidate Peter Foy in his bid for the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, an ethics commission ruled Wednesday.

The county Campaign Finance Ethics Commission voted 3-0 to dismiss charges against the Republican group on the recommendation of an investigator who found no evidence to support charges that the group had violated local campaign finance laws.

Commissioner Cathy Elliot Jones was absent.

The hearing at the county Government Center lasted less than 10 minutes, and the commission thanked the Republican committee for its cooperation throughout the eight-month probe.

"We always felt this was the outcome that would be reached," Mike Osborn, chairman of the Ventura County Republican Party, told the commissioners.

"We knew what we were doing."

A complaint filed by the Elections Division alleged the Republican Central Committee failed to file required reports and exceeded a $600 contribution limit while spending more than $19,000 on Foy's behalf in the last days of the campaign.

But investigator Ken Hardy told the commission he found no evidence to support the charges. The contributions were allowed under state law because they were for mailers sent to other Republicans as "membership communications," an expenditure that must be reported but is exempt from contribution limits.

Foy, an insurance broker, defeated Jim Dantona by 895 votes. He was sworn into office in January.

His victory proved a boost to Republican party leaders, who have worked to put more members of the GOP into local nonpartisan offices.

Though election officials across the state have worked to control campaign spending by organized political groups, Osborn said a bill circulating in the state Legislature aims to strengthen the ability of campaign committees and unions to communicate with their members.

While Wednesday's exoneration brings closure, the ordeal has taken a toll, Osborn said.

"Our public relations have suffered from the mere fact of the investigation," he said. "We spent eight months and a lot of money proving we did nothing wrong."