City council self-fulfillment

Republican San Diego city councilman Scott Sherman, chief promoter of a Mission Valley land giveaway to benefit the Chargers — along with a bevy of local developers hoping to grab pieces of the city-owned Qualcomm Stadium acreage for themselves — has been out collecting funds for himself and a faithful GOP staffer. Handily re-elected in last June’s primary, the Seventh District council member has since raised an extra $11,989 in campaign money from a series of developers, builders, and lobbyists to pay himself off for a $1000 personal loan he made to the campaign back in May 2015.

Sherman’s other post-campaign payouts included $6352 in back salary for Cassandra Weinlein, currently a member of Sherman’s city council staff. In February 2014, Weinlein was singled out for praise by Jason Roe, the Republican consultant widely known as the political brain of mayor Kevin Faulconer. “While there has been much focus on Republican Kevin Faulconer’s convincing victory in deep-blue San Diego’s mayor’s race, the analysis hasn’t included what those of us in San Diego know to be a key factor in the win: a dedicated group of young GOP operatives,” wrote Roe. “Some of them even travel from other states to play their role and they are now so experienced in doing it, that each cycle it gets better.”

To help foot the campaign’s bill for himself and Weinlein, Sherman hit up lobbyists Donna Jones and John Ponder from the downtown law firm of Sheppard Mullin for a total of $350 in August and September. Among Ponder’s 2016 clients were Pardee Homes, Cubic Corporation, and Armstrong Garden Centers. Jones represented Republic Services and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, among others. In addition to that money, four executives with Superior Ready Mix Concrete furnished $1000 on September 22, Sherman filings show.