GOP fat cats spreading presidential wealth

San Diego's somewhat rich and famous were all over the map when it came to presidential campaign giving this year, judging from recent financial disclosure filings, though Donald Trump did not place among the favorites.

Some of the biggest money was given to Republican Jeb Bush, the ex-Florida governor, who got a total of $5400 on August 13 from Dean and Susie Spanos, the currently not-so-popular Chargers owners from La Jolla.

The pro-football couple had previously backed GOP Texas ex-governor Rick Perry, who dropped out of the race in September.

Developer Bob Lichter and wife Gail kicked in the same for Bush in July. Onetime Juan Vargas supporter and downtown financier Luis Maizel and spouse Sally came up with $5400 maximum in June, as did Lily and Richard Tan of Chinese-linked Pacific-Millennium.

Tom Voss, developer sidekick to ex–Union Tribune publisher Doug Manchester and Voss's wife Mary also maxed out.

Manchester himself gave $49,675 in March to the Right to Rise political action committee backing Bush.

Other Right to Risers included Point Loma real estate mogul and would-be Union-Tribune owner Malin Burnham, with $25,000, and entrepreneur James Slattery, with $10,000.

But Manchester didn't contain his monetary enthusiasm to Bush alone.

In June, he contributed $12,500 to a committee calling itself Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for You and for America, backing GOP ex–computer executive Carly Fiorina.

(Dea Spanos Berberian of Stockton, the sister of Dean Spanos, gave the Carly for President committee $1000.)

Hedging his bets yet further, Manchester gave $2600 in February to the presidential bid of Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio.

And in July, the former U-T publisher kicked in $1350 for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, who left the race on September 21, saying the party should pick a candidate other than Donald Trump.

Other local Walker donors this summer included KUSI owner Mike McKinnon, Mission Valley developer Tom Sudberry, Pacific Beach builder Michael Turk, and lawyer Dan Stanford

Walker's fundraising here coincided with his appearance at July's annual meeting in San Diego of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.