Big DeMaio backers with history of amending lobbying disclosure reports paid to turn up the heat on city over lagging burger project blocked by Filner

How many lobbying firms does it take to screw in a real estate development permit in San Diego? In the case of a controversial Jack in the Box currently blocked by besieged mayor Bob Filner, at least two, and those …

GOP ex-city councilman Carl DeMaio, target of San Diego State University expose in race against freshman Democrat, reveals what he did with KPBS-questioned cash

Which way will he go? That's the burning question of the moment regarding former city councilman Carl DeMaio, who, following a brief interregnum after losing his mayoral battle with Bob Filner last year, announced in May he was running for …

Triumvirate gives $5000 a pop to lodging political action committee that insiders say could be used for recall or other forms of political engagement with mayor

Though most of the financial action took place before the current troubles of Bob Filner kicked into high gear, a look at recently filed campaign statements of his foes versus his own money raising prowess shows the uphill money battle …

Golden showers, Jerry Brown, Helen Copley, nuclear plant, Supreme Court reversal, and a municipal court judge all figured into now-ailing newspaper editor's sex scandal crusade

Now that the fat lady of sexual harassment scandals is singing, is it curtains for San Diego Mayor Bob Filner? San Diego and the world will find out more early this afternoon when heavyweight Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred steps …

Fate of GOP La Jollan Manchester's multi-billion dollar downtown Broadway Complex remains in the balance as high-stakes game of strange bedfellows plays out in national media

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is out with her take on San Diego's Bob Filner, and it isn't positive. "Don't identify him as my former colleague," she snapped, according to an account in the Huffington Post, when asked at a …

“No Labels” also means no contributor identification because “it doesn't advance our mission,” says website

San Diego voters are by now long familiar with so-called independent political committees, financed in large part by a variety of big money mystery donors. Many of the efforts are organized under federal law as 501 c(4) non-profits, and therefore …

SDSU's broadcasting arm investigated campaign of Democratic congressman's Republican foe while taxpayer-funded state school was lobbying for money measures

It's been a busy year for fundraising and lobbying on Capitol Hill, especially for San Diego State University. As previously reported, the taxpayer-funded university, through its controlled research foundation, has had an ambitious lobbying agenda in Washington this year, run …

Democratic presidential rainmaker Christine Forester of La Jolla calls mounting allegations against Filner a "debacle," seeks to discourage others from running to replace him

Christine Forester, listed by Newsweek magazine as the nation's second biggest "bundler” of contributions to the 2008 campaign of President Barack Obama, having collected more than $500,000 from a variety of friends and associates in that year alone, is spearheading …

False charges drew libel suit by then-San Diego Republican mayor, forcing GOP daily into front page retraction

Only in San Diego. It was the spring of 1984, and Republican mayor Roger Hedgecock was facing a re-election challenge from an unholy alliance of would-be political reformers; super rich real estate developers and bankers eager to grab more power …

Furniture retailer owned by DeMaio backer provides Filner's office with stylish new office pieces, including "deep t-cushions on the seat for cool comfort”

The alleged sexual harassment case swirling around San Diego mayor Bob Filner has pretty well eclipsed - at least for the time being - city hall's previous preoccupation with the infamous Sunroad scandal, involving Filner's behesting of $100,000 by the …

San Diego's controversial history of sexual allegations and a secret settlement has taken toll on previously distinguished city officials

Democratic mayor Bob Filner - under the gun today for as yet unspecified transgressions in office regarding alleged sexual harassment - is only the latest in a long line of San Diego city officials to find themselves enmeshed by scandal …

Meetings with Melinda Gates and First Lady of Malaysia top non-profit world population groups' itinerary

Freshman Democratic congressman Juan Vargas lost his junketing maidenhood earlier this year on a free trip up the coast to a posh oceanfront resort. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48899/ Now it's the turn of his newly broken-in staff to hit the road. In the …

Eager to clear the field of other Republicans, downtown influence peddlers going all out for hand picked candidate, lobbyist disclosure reveals

As previousy reported here, the city's establishment Republicans and their lobbyists are vigorously working to clear the sixth district city council field of other members of the GOP to make way for their handpicked candidate, Chris Cate, vice president of …

Associate of controversial ex-coastal panel member Pat Kruer diving into poker casino operation near Sacramento, records show

Democratic Governor Jerry Brown has picked up a $5,000 contribution for his re-election campaign next year from a big poker wheel from La Jolla, according to a state financial disclosure report. Ryan Stone, whose occupation is listed on Brown's July …

Sworn complaint against independent Mitz Lee by GOP forces dismissed by state's Fair Political Practices Commission

The behind-the-scenes battle for San Diego's sixth city council district is already on the verge of boiling over, far before the time voters head to the polls, or mailboxes, as the case may be. As reported here in April, the …

Ex-FBI Special Agent in Charge, now San Diego sheriff, faced disclosure questions regarding behests by corporations and tribes that bankrolled lavish sheriffs' convention here

As first reported here by Dorian Hargrove on June 12, San Diego Democratic Mayor Bob Filner has been fielding a lot of questions lately about his acceptance of $100,000 from local developer Sunroad and his subsequent decision to endorse a …

Allegedly stiffed by U-T San Diego publisher's bank in organization, vendor takes case against suddenly elusive mega-millionaire to federal court and wins $477,000

San Diego real estate developer, hotel magnate, and newspaper publisher Douglas Manchester also wanted to become a banker. Back in January 2008, the region's GOP kingpin got together with some friends and associates and sought to establish the Manchester Financial …

Port commissioner Merrifield joins in merriment, courtesy of hotel mogul-backed business lobbying group attacking Filner; later reimburses, filing shows

Back in May, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association – a bastion of high-powered San Diego influence peddlers, including city hall lobbyists Paul Robinson; Al Ziegaus's Southwest Strategies; and Tom Shepard's Public Policy Strategies; as well as, according to the …

Democratic champion of U.S. military funding for local public universities and GOP's self-styled taxpayer advocate both hit the hustings outside of San Diego in quest for campaign cash

Ex-San Diego city councilman and unsuccessful GOP mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio is going on the road to raise money for his congressional bid against La Jolla Democratic freshman Scott Peters. DeMaio isn't traveling too far over the county line in …

Marco Polo Cortes, golfing companion of former city councilman imprisoned in Cheetahs Strippergate case, signs up to lobby for “adult/nude” industry, city filing discloses

It's been more than eleven years since we first reported here about the unusual goings on at a strip club known as Cheetahs, and a decade since the FBI raided San Diego city hall, launching the infamous bribery case, known …