Who got defrauded?

Rodriguez announced in November 2014 that he was running for a board seat and raised more than $50,000 during his first campaign reporting period that ended Dec. 31, 2014, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors allege that nearly half those contributions were fraudulent because Rodriguez and Melendrez reimbursed those who gave them.In total, 25 donors, most of them family and friends, were allegedly paid back $24,250. The donors’ names were listed on a campaign finance report that was allegedly signed by Rodriguez under the penalty of perjury and submitted to the commission, prosecutors said.

He won the election needing only half the money, so he returned it.  Where is the crime? If he defrauded the voters then why did they elect him?   Did he defraud the state? Maybe, but the state eventually learned the money was returned.  I see this merely as a paper work error, maybe a misdemeanor.