"Hispanic 100" backs Faulconer

A political action committee going by the name "Hispanic 100" has taken to the airwaves in an effort to attract voters to their cause. Only, the candidate they support isn't the one with Hispanic heritage. And, the money for the radio ads didn't come from the group's Hispanic contingent.

A February 6 campaign disclosure shows the committee (with ties to the Tea Party) purchased $6500 in radio ads in support of councilmember Kevin Faulconer.

The bulk of the money used to pay for the radio spots came from local conservative Jane Sudberry, who is married to San Diego developer Thomas Sudberry. On February 3, Sudberry gave $5000 to the Hispanic 100 committee. Also chipping in was La Jolla resident and real estate property manager James Quinn and Newport Beach resident Dale Dykema, chairman and CEO of T.D. Service Financial Corporation.

And although quiet up until now, the Orange County–based political committee has been in the news before. A closer look into the committee's past shows it has come under fire for organizing meet-and-greets with conservative politicians from Mexico.The Liberal OC website referred to Hispanic 100 as the "Mexican equivalent of the Lincoln Club."

Then, in August of last year, the Federal Election Committee sent a warning letter to Hispanic 100's main office in San Clemente for failing to file the required campaign-finance documents.

The committee also made headlines in the 2012 Republican primary when it bashed then-candidate Mitt Romney for not standing with Latinos.

"It appears you find it 'dishonest' to consider yourself Mexican-American, even though your father was born in Mexico," wrote Hispanic 100 CEO Mario Rodriguez. "Under that same pretense, would those of us born in the United States, but have parental ancestry from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, and other Latin American countries, be dishonest in claiming ourselves as Americans?"

Rodriguez came out in support of Tea Party favorite Newt Gingrich.

When it comes to local politics, Hispanic 100 has put their money and support behind other non-Hispanic candidates, such as California state senator Mimi Walters, who represents vast swaths of Orange County, and another non-Latino candidate for state assembly, Anna Bryson.

Until February 6, Hispanic 100 had never endorsed any politicians in San Diego.

The radio ads will run up until Tuesday's election.

(correction made 2/11, 2:30 p.m.)