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

Mara Elliott gets Morgan Dene Oliver money

Lorena Gonzalez eats free $88 meal at Barona

Morgan Dene Oliver
Morgan Dene Oliver

Mara’s marred Morgan Dene money

San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, a Democrat, has been raking in super-sized campaign contributions from some of Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s most stalwart backers, including one mixed up in an embarrassing wedding scandal tied to the failed SoccerCity city land grab. From the beginning of January through the end of June, Elliott’s 2020 reelection committee raised a total of $160,035, according to her campaign’s six-month accounting, filed July 31. Near the top of the list of deep-pocketed developers is Morgan Dene Oliver, whose occupation is listed on Elliott’s disclosure as Chief Vision Officer for Brookfield Properties. Oliver individually gave $2300 to the first-term city attorney on May 29, per the disclosure.

Despite appearances, City Attorney Mara Elliott enjoys big campaign donations from developers and lawyers.

Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. of Canada bought out the San Diegan’s OliverMcMillan development company in February 2018 for an undisclosed sum. The move followed 2017 revelations that Oliver met secretly with Faulconer and backers of SoccerCity in a lobbying bid that convinced the mayor to support their Qualcomm Stadium takeover well before public disclosure and hearings. Then in May 2017, it came to light that McMillan had quietly opened his posh Point Loma bayside mansion for the August 2015 wedding of Faulconer’s then-chief of staff Stephen Puetz. The festivities were held four months before Soccer City’s pitch to the mayor.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Besides developer cash, about 30 percent of City Attorney Elliott’s political money this year has come from those listing their occupations as lawyers, filings show. The downtown law firms Seltzer, Caplan and Procopio, both registered to lobby at city hall for real estate interests, rounded up a total of nearly $3000 each in employee contributions. Individual $1150 givers to Elliott’s cause included San Diego Housing Commission general counsel Charles Christensen of Christensen & Spath; David Watson of Duane Morris; and Candace Carroll of Sullivan Hill.

From the ranks of non-lawyer lobbyists, Chris and Jennifer Wahl of Southwest Strategies each kicked in $1150. Other sizable campaign money has come from three executives at ColRich. The firm’s chief Danny Gabriel and co-chairman Richard Gabriel, along with president Barry Galgut, each kicked in $2300 in late June, the disclosure shows. The controversial Mission Valley and Otay Mesa housing and commercial developers have proven to be a reliable source of campaign cash to Vivian Moreno, the successor to her boss, termed-out Democrat David Alvarez, to the eighth district city council seat. He was a beneficiary of ColRich funding as well.

Councilman Chris Ward wonders why fellow politicians are content with free $7 meals, as he is.

Suite life and politics

One current and one would-be local legislator took advantage of the hospitality offered by the Barona casino tribe during the year’s first quarter, according to lobbying disclosures. On March 8, Assembly Democrat and frequent Barona diner Lorena Gonzalez stopped by for a free repast valued at $88 in Barona’s private gaming area. Democratic Assembly hopeful and current member of the San Diego city council Chris Ward got a more downscale meal worth $6.95 at the casino’s Sage Cafe, “with comfortable indoor and conservatory seating, and panoramic views of the beautiful valley and award-winning golf course,” according to Barona’s online write-up. Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, Democrat of Coachella, picked up a free March 7 overnight stay at the casino hotel worth $89.

Also on March 8, Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes of Colton and her spouse, San Bernardino Community College District Trustee Frank Reyes, dined free in Barona’s private gaming area to the tune of $176.12... Meanwhile, back in the land of the Walt Disney Company, Laurel Brodzinsky, Assembly member Gonzalez’s legislative director, picked up a free ticket worth $30 to a Star Wars feature screening at Sacramento’s Crest Theatre on May 1, according to Disney’s second-quarter lobbying disclosure report, filed July 29. Also among legislative entertainment freebie recipients was Mercedes Flores, secretary for the Assembly’s Business and Professions Committee, which includes Democratic San Diego mayoral hopeful Todd Gloria. She received two gratis suite tickets valued at $458 to the April 14 Chayanne Desde El Alma concert in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, courtesy of cell phone and cable giant AT&T.

The latest copy of the Reader

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

Was Reddit ghost sighter hired by Hotel del Coronado?

Parking 1/2 mile away and complaints of vandalism
Next Article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Morgan Dene Oliver
Morgan Dene Oliver

Mara’s marred Morgan Dene money

San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, a Democrat, has been raking in super-sized campaign contributions from some of Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s most stalwart backers, including one mixed up in an embarrassing wedding scandal tied to the failed SoccerCity city land grab. From the beginning of January through the end of June, Elliott’s 2020 reelection committee raised a total of $160,035, according to her campaign’s six-month accounting, filed July 31. Near the top of the list of deep-pocketed developers is Morgan Dene Oliver, whose occupation is listed on Elliott’s disclosure as Chief Vision Officer for Brookfield Properties. Oliver individually gave $2300 to the first-term city attorney on May 29, per the disclosure.

Despite appearances, City Attorney Mara Elliott enjoys big campaign donations from developers and lawyers.

Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. of Canada bought out the San Diegan’s OliverMcMillan development company in February 2018 for an undisclosed sum. The move followed 2017 revelations that Oliver met secretly with Faulconer and backers of SoccerCity in a lobbying bid that convinced the mayor to support their Qualcomm Stadium takeover well before public disclosure and hearings. Then in May 2017, it came to light that McMillan had quietly opened his posh Point Loma bayside mansion for the August 2015 wedding of Faulconer’s then-chief of staff Stephen Puetz. The festivities were held four months before Soccer City’s pitch to the mayor.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Besides developer cash, about 30 percent of City Attorney Elliott’s political money this year has come from those listing their occupations as lawyers, filings show. The downtown law firms Seltzer, Caplan and Procopio, both registered to lobby at city hall for real estate interests, rounded up a total of nearly $3000 each in employee contributions. Individual $1150 givers to Elliott’s cause included San Diego Housing Commission general counsel Charles Christensen of Christensen & Spath; David Watson of Duane Morris; and Candace Carroll of Sullivan Hill.

From the ranks of non-lawyer lobbyists, Chris and Jennifer Wahl of Southwest Strategies each kicked in $1150. Other sizable campaign money has come from three executives at ColRich. The firm’s chief Danny Gabriel and co-chairman Richard Gabriel, along with president Barry Galgut, each kicked in $2300 in late June, the disclosure shows. The controversial Mission Valley and Otay Mesa housing and commercial developers have proven to be a reliable source of campaign cash to Vivian Moreno, the successor to her boss, termed-out Democrat David Alvarez, to the eighth district city council seat. He was a beneficiary of ColRich funding as well.

Councilman Chris Ward wonders why fellow politicians are content with free $7 meals, as he is.

Suite life and politics

One current and one would-be local legislator took advantage of the hospitality offered by the Barona casino tribe during the year’s first quarter, according to lobbying disclosures. On March 8, Assembly Democrat and frequent Barona diner Lorena Gonzalez stopped by for a free repast valued at $88 in Barona’s private gaming area. Democratic Assembly hopeful and current member of the San Diego city council Chris Ward got a more downscale meal worth $6.95 at the casino’s Sage Cafe, “with comfortable indoor and conservatory seating, and panoramic views of the beautiful valley and award-winning golf course,” according to Barona’s online write-up. Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, Democrat of Coachella, picked up a free March 7 overnight stay at the casino hotel worth $89.

Also on March 8, Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes of Colton and her spouse, San Bernardino Community College District Trustee Frank Reyes, dined free in Barona’s private gaming area to the tune of $176.12... Meanwhile, back in the land of the Walt Disney Company, Laurel Brodzinsky, Assembly member Gonzalez’s legislative director, picked up a free ticket worth $30 to a Star Wars feature screening at Sacramento’s Crest Theatre on May 1, according to Disney’s second-quarter lobbying disclosure report, filed July 29. Also among legislative entertainment freebie recipients was Mercedes Flores, secretary for the Assembly’s Business and Professions Committee, which includes Democratic San Diego mayoral hopeful Todd Gloria. She received two gratis suite tickets valued at $458 to the April 14 Chayanne Desde El Alma concert in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, courtesy of cell phone and cable giant AT&T.

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

Holiday Market At Petco Park, Will Smith’s Dance in the Darkness Tour, Light Shows, Snowfall, Caroling

Events December 12-December 13, 2024
Next Article

Tuétano and Mujer Divina: two storefronts, one famous birria

Burritos and coffee or tacos and tortas, marrow or not
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Aug. 20, 2019
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Jan. 29, 2020
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