Faulconer inaugural tab exceeded $91,000, disclosure shows

The official report is in, and, as expected by many city hall insiders, new GOP mayor Kevin Faulconer picked up plenty of cash from the city's special interests to stage his inaugural festivities last month.

Much of the money went to pay for Faulconer's exclusive nighttime party on the Broadway Pier.

The mayor's disclosure report, filed March 28, lists the evening event as a "public reception,” but as previously reported here, video shot that night shows a host of the city's top developers, hotel moguls, and influence peddlers poured through the doors past an impressive lineup of well polished classic cars and a blaring mariachi band.

Attendees included lobbyist Ben Haddad of California Strategies, the big Sacramento influence-peddling outfit founded by Bob White, longtime aide to ex-San Diego mayor and former GOP governor Pete Wilson. Among the firm's San Diego clients have been Bridgepoint Education, Capitol Power Corporation, Ralphs Grocery, and Clear Channel Outdoor, which wants to loosen the city's strict billboard regulations.

Nikki Clay, who runs Clay Company, with lobbying clients including Sycamore landfill operator Republic Services, New Jersey–based developer Garden Communities, Jack in the Box, and real-estate giant H.G. Fenton Company, was there with husband Ben.

Lobbyist, solid waste-facility developer, and onetime Roger Hedgecock intimate Nancy Chase, whose daughter was protocol officer for fallen mayor Bob Filner and whose name was listed among backers of Faulconer's Democratic mayoral rival David Alvarez last year, also showed up for a round of hugs with the Republicans.

The $68,161 cost of the pier pavilion party, according to the disclosure, included $34,312 paid to Pacific Event Productions and $15,000 to Festivities Catering. The port, which owns the facility, received $10,550.

ABM Parking Services got $1200. ACE Parking got $1425. The video shows valet parkers were kept busy all night handling a succession of Bentleys, Mercedes, Porsches, and other luxury vehicles that pulled up to the pavilion.

On the other hand, the mayor's inaugural swearing-in reception, touted by Faulconer as being the first to be held in the southeast part of the city, cost just $8062, including $1000 paid to Charles Chamberlayne, a former congresssional Republican aide who is currently the mayor's press secretary.

According to the report, the mayor's group raised a total of $115,375 and spent $91,111.

Donors to the Faulconer event fund ran the usual gamut of Republican media power brokers and lobbyists, from U-T San Diego publisher Douglas Manchester's Manchester Financial ($5000) and KUSI, owned by Mike McKinnon, ($5000), to SDG&E ($5000) and Bridgepoint Education ($5000).

Qualcomm, the company founded by La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs, which was pounded by the GOP Lincoln Club during the mayoral contest over its relationship with Republican-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, also chipped in $5000.

Developer Davidson Communities gave $5000, as did Oliver McMillan and Mission Valley megadeveloper Tom Sudberry. Lobbying boutique Southwest Strategies, handling a bid by military contractors to shoot down the Barrio Logan community plan, kicked in $2500.

A report today in Manchester's U-T San Diego, quoting ex-U-T reporter Craig Gustafson, now an aide to Faulconer, said tickets to the reception "went to labor leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, the Republican and Democratic parties, elected officials and black, Asian Pacific, Latino and LGBT community leaders."

Citing figures that the newspaper said were provided to it by the city, the U-T pegged the fundraising proceeds higher than those reported in the March disclosure on file with the city, saying the Faulconer group had "ultimately" taken in "$108,000 in cash and $39,937 worth of items such as food, entertainment and lighting."