Council's convention center cash

San Diego city councilmembers are awash in special-interest cash. During the last quarter, 16 Sempra Energy employees lined up to give a total of $2100 to the reelection bid of Second District councilman Kevin Faulconer. And 19 Sempra workers gave a total of $2350 to Tony Young’s Fourth District campaign. Two October fundraisers were organized by J. William Ichord, vice president of government relations. Another Tony Young fundraiser was held December 2 by four employees of the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, which netted $1550. During the final quarter of the year, Sheppard was paid $42,000 by the city-owned San Diego Convention Center Corporation to provide real estate and contract negotiations related to the proposed expansion of that facility. Not to be outdone, Ben Haddad of California Strategies threw a fundraiser at his personal residence on November 2, raising $3000 for Faulconer. Haddad’s clients include HNTB, an L.A. contractor that wants a piece of the center expansion; it paid California Strategies $30,000 to lobby mayoral staffer Phil Rath.