Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Vargas Corporate Backers to be Fined for Hiding Identity

Two years ago this month we reported that political consultant Larry Remer--who once worked with Jane Fonda and her then-husband, former radical and liberal Democratic state Sen. Tom Hayden--had been employed by a political committee backed by a business lobbying group calling itself the Civil Justice Association of California.

The association's board was populated by representatives of California's biggest corporations, including Sempra Energy, Anthem Blue Cross, Allstate Insurance, CNA Insurance, American International Group, Chevron Corporation, General Electric, Intel, ExxonMobil, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Using two committees, the group spent almost $1.5 million on an indendepent campaign to elect Democrat Juan Vargas, a former San Diego city councilman, state Assemblyman, and insurance company lobbyist, to the state senate over his fellow Democrat, then-Assemblywoman Mary Salas, regarded as the liberal in the race.

Although the corporations' campaign was technically separate from Vargas's, Remer, the candidate's longtime friend and political advisor, was widely regarded by local observers as the key strategist of the effort, noteworthy for its slashing attacks on Salas.

Vargas went on to narrowly edge out Salas, and now, midway through his term, is running for congress to replace Bob Filner, who wants to be mayor of San Diego.

Enter the state's Fair Political Practices Commission, which next week is set to sign off on a $6,000 fine against the big corporate guns for failing to properly reveal to the public their role on behalf of Vargas.

"On or about June 2, 2010, Respondents Put California Back To Work, Sponsored by the Civil Justice Association of California and J. Richard Eichman made an independent expenditure which caused a mass mailing to be sent in support of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of his opposing candidate, Mary Salas, which failed to display the top two contributors of $50,000 or more during the 12 month period prior to the expenditure, in violation of Government Code section 84506," says a proposed stipulation between the commission and the campaign committee.

Although Put California Back To Work was "a primarily formed committee to support the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 in the June 8, 2010 Primary Election," the filing says, the committee "failed to add the full name and office of the candidate it supported as its primary activity, and failed to include in Respondent Committee’s name, the name of the candidate, office sought and year of the election for whom the committee supported or opposed."

The FPPC document notes that there was no doubt as to the intention of the Civil Justice Association.

"According to Respondent Committee campaign statements, during the period January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2010, Respondent Committee made expenditures of approximately $1,449,440.

"Approximately $1,270,440 was made in support of Juan Vargas and in opposition to his opponent, Mary Salas. Therefore, approximately 88% of the campaign activity was in support of the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of a candidate opposing him in the same election.

"At no time prior to the June 8, 2010 Primary Election did the contributions or expenditures in support of Juan Vargas and opposing Mary Salas fall below 70%."

Despite that, "Prior to the June 8, 2010 Primary Election, Respondents Committee and Eichman paid for multiple advertisements and mass mailers in support of the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of Mary Salas, none of which included the proper disclosure."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

SDSU pres gets highest pay raise in state over last 15 years

Union-Tribune still stiffing downtown San Diego landlord?

Two years ago this month we reported that political consultant Larry Remer--who once worked with Jane Fonda and her then-husband, former radical and liberal Democratic state Sen. Tom Hayden--had been employed by a political committee backed by a business lobbying group calling itself the Civil Justice Association of California.

The association's board was populated by representatives of California's biggest corporations, including Sempra Energy, Anthem Blue Cross, Allstate Insurance, CNA Insurance, American International Group, Chevron Corporation, General Electric, Intel, ExxonMobil, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Using two committees, the group spent almost $1.5 million on an indendepent campaign to elect Democrat Juan Vargas, a former San Diego city councilman, state Assemblyman, and insurance company lobbyist, to the state senate over his fellow Democrat, then-Assemblywoman Mary Salas, regarded as the liberal in the race.

Although the corporations' campaign was technically separate from Vargas's, Remer, the candidate's longtime friend and political advisor, was widely regarded by local observers as the key strategist of the effort, noteworthy for its slashing attacks on Salas.

Vargas went on to narrowly edge out Salas, and now, midway through his term, is running for congress to replace Bob Filner, who wants to be mayor of San Diego.

Enter the state's Fair Political Practices Commission, which next week is set to sign off on a $6,000 fine against the big corporate guns for failing to properly reveal to the public their role on behalf of Vargas.

"On or about June 2, 2010, Respondents Put California Back To Work, Sponsored by the Civil Justice Association of California and J. Richard Eichman made an independent expenditure which caused a mass mailing to be sent in support of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of his opposing candidate, Mary Salas, which failed to display the top two contributors of $50,000 or more during the 12 month period prior to the expenditure, in violation of Government Code section 84506," says a proposed stipulation between the commission and the campaign committee.

Although Put California Back To Work was "a primarily formed committee to support the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 in the June 8, 2010 Primary Election," the filing says, the committee "failed to add the full name and office of the candidate it supported as its primary activity, and failed to include in Respondent Committee’s name, the name of the candidate, office sought and year of the election for whom the committee supported or opposed."

The FPPC document notes that there was no doubt as to the intention of the Civil Justice Association.

"According to Respondent Committee campaign statements, during the period January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2010, Respondent Committee made expenditures of approximately $1,449,440.

"Approximately $1,270,440 was made in support of Juan Vargas and in opposition to his opponent, Mary Salas. Therefore, approximately 88% of the campaign activity was in support of the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of a candidate opposing him in the same election.

"At no time prior to the June 8, 2010 Primary Election did the contributions or expenditures in support of Juan Vargas and opposing Mary Salas fall below 70%."

Despite that, "Prior to the June 8, 2010 Primary Election, Respondents Committee and Eichman paid for multiple advertisements and mass mailers in support of the election of Juan Vargas for State Senate District 40 and in opposition of Mary Salas, none of which included the proper disclosure."

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.