A campaign mailer for embattled Desert Hot Springs Councilman Karl Baker touts the support of four elected leaders who aren’t actually endorsing his re-election.

The mailer describes Baker as “effective,” “experienced” and “endorsed.” It then quotes U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, Desert Hot Springs Mayor Yvonne Parks and fellow council members Scott Matas and Jan Pye.

The three city leaders all pulled their endorsements amid allegations that Baker violated the state’s conflict of interest laws.

A spokesman for Lewis, whose district includes Desert Hot Springs, said the Redlands Republican doesn’t make endorsements in local elections.

Baker told The Desert Sun that the mailer was put together before his council colleagues yanked their sup port. Baker said he had permission to use a photo taken with Lewis, but never sought the congressman’s endorsement.

“I did not mean to imply in the mailer that he endorsed me,” Baker said. “What I wanted to do was support the information on the other side (of the flier), which was all the money I brought to the city.”

For more on this story, check out Thursday’s Desert Sun.