Ben Hueso

What is Urban Associates, Inc., and why has it so far spent $50,000 on a rough-and-tumble bid to elect Senate Democrat Ben Hueso to the San Diego County board of supervisors?

Rafael Castellanos

An elaborate trail of intrigue emerges from state disclosure records, revealing a web of Sacramento influence-peddling centered around Pedro Carrillo, a longtime Democratic power player who is listed as president of Urban Associates, based in the city of Commerce.

Urban Associates is registered with the California Secretary of State as a lobbyist employer. In addition to his role there, Carrillo is managing partner of Prime Strategies California, which is registered as a lobbyist, listing Urban Associates as a client as of February 13.

"Pedro served as the principal consultant to the California Assembly Select Committee on Housing in the Silicon Valley, the principal consultant to the California Commission for Economic Development, and to the Speaker of the California Assembly," says Prime's website.

Prime "merged" with Urban Associates four years ago, according to an October 17, 2016 news release.

"By coming together with Prime Strategies, we bring a more diverse set of capabilities to our clients and for the first time can offer services in Washington, D.C., and other major cities and states across the country," the release quoted Carrillo as saying at the time.

Pedro Carrillo

Resigned Assembly Democrat Raul Bocanegra, the target of a 2018 Assembly sexual harassment probe which found he made "unwanted advances" toward three female staffers, was quoted as calling Carrillo and an associate at Prime "the future of California."

Besides Urban Associates, another client disclosed by Prime Strategies' most recent filing, dated January 20, is oil giant ExxonMobil Corporation, which has paid the lobbying firm $89,828 during the current session, according to the document.

Prime's filing provides no details regarding what Urban Associates is up to, or why the company made its five-figure donation on behalf of Hueso, disclosing only that the firm, which became Prime's client on February 13, seeks to lobby the governor and legislature about "general matters."

During the primary campaign, Hueso was backed by two so-called independent expenditure committees, San Diego Strong, Supporting Ben Hueso for Supervisor, and Hard Working San Diegans for Ben Hueso for Supervisor 2020.

Urban Associates, Inc. gave $25,000 to San Diego Strong on January 27.

In addition to the two pro-Hueso groups, a third independent campaign committee, aimed at one of Hueso's opponents and calling itself San Diegans for Responsible Government, Opposing Rafa Castellanos for Supervisor 2020, weighed into the race.

That committee, which got $25,000 from Urban Associates on February 25, dispatched hit pieces against lawyer and port commissioner Castellanos, which when all the votes are finally tallied may ultimately cost him second place in the race and a chance to take on Hueso in November's general election runoff.