Breaking Stories: My MTV

San Diego — Wealthy La Jolla socialite Lisa Barkett has agreed to pay a $2340 fine for failing to report in a timely fashion a $10,000 contribution to the unsuccessful June 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary campaign of Phil Angelides and a $5600 contribution to then-state insurance commissioner John Garamendi's campaign for lieutenant governor. Barkett is a former member of the Del Mar Fair board, to which she was appointed in 2004 by then-governor Gray Davis after her husband William, a major Democratic moneyman who was once a key backer of ex-assembly speaker Willie Brown, gave the Davis campaign $75,000.

And back in May 2006, Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, reported that the Barketts' daughter Jacqueline -- once featured on My Super Sweet 16, an MTV reality show about rich teenagers given extravagant coming-of-age bashes -- had landed an internship in the office of Democratic senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Barkett had kicked in $41,700 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2005 and 2006.

As the presidential campaign season heats up, more and more local money has begun pouring into political coffers. In La Jolla, retired Democratic senator Dennis DeConcini gave $1000 to the state Democratic Central Executive Committee of his home state of Arizona. Pizza parlor magnate Sami Ladeki gave $2000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in August. Ellen Revelle, widow of famed Scripps oceanographer Roger Revelle, gave $1000 to the liberal Emily's List, as did downtown philanthropist Danah Fayman, who also gave the same amount to the presidential bid of Hillary Clinton. Lawyer and lobbyist Brian Seltzer contributed $1000 to Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.