Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Faulconer's political guru out as stadium lobbyist

Hit by Chargers on ethics grounds, Roe delisted as influence peddler.

Chargers lawyer Mark Fabiani is looming large over the mayor's stadium task force decisions
Chargers lawyer Mark Fabiani is looming large over the mayor's stadium task force decisions

Kevin Faulconer's political brain has left the torrid kitchen of city hall influence peddling, but he may not have gone far, based on a July 23 filing with the city clerk's office.

Jason Roe

As first reported here in January, Presidio Public Affairs Group, a lobbying company operated by Jason Roe, a major GOP political consultant and key player in the campaigns of the Republican San Diego mayor, went to work early this year for food service giant Delaware North, according to a January 15 disclosure filing with the city.

The lucrative mission: obtain an exclusive concession deal with the city for food and beverage operations at Qualcomm Stadium to replace incumbent provider Centerplate.

The cozy arrangement drew the attention of Mark Fabiani, special counsel to the Chargers, who noted that Roe was an inside player in Faulconer's efforts to keep the team from leaving town.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"What legal and ethical issues are raised by Mr. Roe's dual role as an apparent de facto Task Force member and as a registered lobbyist for the Delaware North company, which is bidding to become the new concessionaire at Qualcomm Stadium and, potentially, at any new stadium in San Diego?" wrote Fabiani in a February 17 letter to Faulconer.

The letter continued, "Putting the legal and ethical issues aside for a moment, what sense does it make to have someone who is your chief advisor on political matters, and who advises a potential stadium vendor on business matters, play any sort of role with the 'independent' Task Force?"

Added Fabiani, "Have you asked the City Attorney for an opinion on the propriety of Mr. Roe's intensive involvement with the Task Force's work? If you have not yet asked for such an opinion from the City Attorney, do you intend to do so?"

Faulconer's answer came in the form of the April award of the Qualcomm contract to Delaware North.

That brought a fierce protest from Centerplate, the previous holder of the Qualcomm concession.

"As you know, during the 90 minutes allotted to Centerplate for its presentation, not one member of the selection committee asked a single question regarding any one of the five different financial proposals put forth by Centerplate in its [request for proposal] response," said a letter from Centerplate chief legal and talent officer Keith B.W. King to city contracting official Ronald Villa.

"Nor was Centerplate ever asked whether it would match or beat any other offer that appeared to be 'very aggressive' or otherwise.”

Continued King, "Further troubling are the recent allegations raised about [Delaware North's] lobbyist and his apparent connection to the Mayor's office.”

Chief of Staff Steve McNally, District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer, and Old Town District Representative James Lawson (SOHO)

Now, according to an amended lobbyist disclosure form filed by Presidio on July 23, Roe is no longer a lobbyist for the firm, having been replaced by ex-Faulconer city council aide James Lawson.

As first reported here last year, Roe and longtime associate Duane Dichiara registered Presidio as a lobbying firm on June 27, 2014.

The company’s annual lobbyist registration for 2015, dated January 15, listed Roe and Janelle Riella as Presidio's staff lobbyists.

Riella remains a listed lobbyist. Prior to this week, she had been said on the Presidio website to be president of the company. She is now billed as vice president.

Lawson's biography on the website, which says he is president of an entity known as Presidio PAG, Inc.,adds that he previously worked for California Strategies, the big Sacramento contract lobbying outfit founded by ex-Pete Wilson honcho Bob White.

Bob White

According to Presidio's disclosure for this year's first quarter, dated April 30, the company received $15,000 from Delaware North. Kilroy Realty, battling with another L.A. developer over One Paseo, a North City commercial and residential complex, also paid the firm $15,000, as did billboard company Outfront Media.

The July 23 filing regarding Lawson's new role in the company continues to show both Roe and his political partner Dichiara on a list of "each owner, compensated officer, and lobbyist in the firm who provided compensated campaign-related services to a current elected City Official within the last two years."

Both are said by the filing to have done work for Faulconer and his GOP ally, councilman Chris Cate.

We have a call into Lawson for more details on the shakeup.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, B-Side Players, The Crawdaddys, Saint Luna, Brawley

Reunited, in the round, and onstage in Normal Heights, East Village, Little Italy, Encinitas
Chargers lawyer Mark Fabiani is looming large over the mayor's stadium task force decisions
Chargers lawyer Mark Fabiani is looming large over the mayor's stadium task force decisions

Kevin Faulconer's political brain has left the torrid kitchen of city hall influence peddling, but he may not have gone far, based on a July 23 filing with the city clerk's office.

Jason Roe

As first reported here in January, Presidio Public Affairs Group, a lobbying company operated by Jason Roe, a major GOP political consultant and key player in the campaigns of the Republican San Diego mayor, went to work early this year for food service giant Delaware North, according to a January 15 disclosure filing with the city.

The lucrative mission: obtain an exclusive concession deal with the city for food and beverage operations at Qualcomm Stadium to replace incumbent provider Centerplate.

The cozy arrangement drew the attention of Mark Fabiani, special counsel to the Chargers, who noted that Roe was an inside player in Faulconer's efforts to keep the team from leaving town.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"What legal and ethical issues are raised by Mr. Roe's dual role as an apparent de facto Task Force member and as a registered lobbyist for the Delaware North company, which is bidding to become the new concessionaire at Qualcomm Stadium and, potentially, at any new stadium in San Diego?" wrote Fabiani in a February 17 letter to Faulconer.

The letter continued, "Putting the legal and ethical issues aside for a moment, what sense does it make to have someone who is your chief advisor on political matters, and who advises a potential stadium vendor on business matters, play any sort of role with the 'independent' Task Force?"

Added Fabiani, "Have you asked the City Attorney for an opinion on the propriety of Mr. Roe's intensive involvement with the Task Force's work? If you have not yet asked for such an opinion from the City Attorney, do you intend to do so?"

Faulconer's answer came in the form of the April award of the Qualcomm contract to Delaware North.

That brought a fierce protest from Centerplate, the previous holder of the Qualcomm concession.

"As you know, during the 90 minutes allotted to Centerplate for its presentation, not one member of the selection committee asked a single question regarding any one of the five different financial proposals put forth by Centerplate in its [request for proposal] response," said a letter from Centerplate chief legal and talent officer Keith B.W. King to city contracting official Ronald Villa.

"Nor was Centerplate ever asked whether it would match or beat any other offer that appeared to be 'very aggressive' or otherwise.”

Continued King, "Further troubling are the recent allegations raised about [Delaware North's] lobbyist and his apparent connection to the Mayor's office.”

Chief of Staff Steve McNally, District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer, and Old Town District Representative James Lawson (SOHO)

Now, according to an amended lobbyist disclosure form filed by Presidio on July 23, Roe is no longer a lobbyist for the firm, having been replaced by ex-Faulconer city council aide James Lawson.

As first reported here last year, Roe and longtime associate Duane Dichiara registered Presidio as a lobbying firm on June 27, 2014.

The company’s annual lobbyist registration for 2015, dated January 15, listed Roe and Janelle Riella as Presidio's staff lobbyists.

Riella remains a listed lobbyist. Prior to this week, she had been said on the Presidio website to be president of the company. She is now billed as vice president.

Lawson's biography on the website, which says he is president of an entity known as Presidio PAG, Inc.,adds that he previously worked for California Strategies, the big Sacramento contract lobbying outfit founded by ex-Pete Wilson honcho Bob White.

Bob White

According to Presidio's disclosure for this year's first quarter, dated April 30, the company received $15,000 from Delaware North. Kilroy Realty, battling with another L.A. developer over One Paseo, a North City commercial and residential complex, also paid the firm $15,000, as did billboard company Outfront Media.

The July 23 filing regarding Lawson's new role in the company continues to show both Roe and his political partner Dichiara on a list of "each owner, compensated officer, and lobbyist in the firm who provided compensated campaign-related services to a current elected City Official within the last two years."

Both are said by the filing to have done work for Faulconer and his GOP ally, councilman Chris Cate.

We have a call into Lawson for more details on the shakeup.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, B-Side Players, The Crawdaddys, Saint Luna, Brawley

Reunited, in the round, and onstage in Normal Heights, East Village, Little Italy, Encinitas
Next Article

O’side Tree Lighting & Gift Market, Holiday Lights at the Museum, The Elovaters and Little Stranger

Events December 5-December 6, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader