California Democratic Party reaps Sempra cash windfall

Sempra Energy, whose San Diego Gas & Electric subsidiary is battling the likes of Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett to keep its long-held power monopoly here, is setting new records for feathering political nests.

At the top of the list of Sempra's 2020 beneficiaries is the California Democratic Party, which picked up $75,000 on February 24 and $160,000 on October 9, for a total of $235,000 this year, so far.

The state Republican Party has gotten less, $150,000 on September 10.

The same day, an independent expenditure committee calling itself the Opportunity for All Coalition received $90,000 from the utility giant. The committee is spending heavily on behalf of Proposition 16, endorsed by state Democrats, a measure that would end the state's ban on affirmative action.

Sempra's top San Diego contribution, $45,000, went to a low-profile political action committee calling itself the Independent Voter PAC on October 9.

During the final six months of 2019, the PAC paid $24,000 to IVC Media, LLC, an online design and coding outfit run by Chad Peace, son of ex-Democratic state senator Steve Peace, a longtime utility industry favorite. The Independent Voter Project, chaired by the elder Peace, got $5000 from the PAC in 2019.

Sempra kicked in a total of $19,000 to the San Diego County Democratic Party, with $15,000 of it rolling in on September 10.

On October 9, the company gave $15,000 to San Diego Strong, an independent expenditure committee backing state senate Democrat Ben Hueso's bid for a seat on the county board of supervisors.

Another Hueso independent expenditure committee, Hard Working San Diegans for Ben Hueso Supervisor 2020, got $20,000 on February 25. The group filed a termination statement on July August 10.

San Diego Works! PAC, run by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, got $20,000 on October 2.

The California Business Roundtable, a lobbying group seeking defeat for Proposition 15, which would hike taxes on commercial and industrial property, and Proposition 21, which would allow local option rent control, picked up $30,000 from Sempra on October 9.

On the other hand, San Diego's Measure A, a controversial proposal to boost property taxes to finance government-subsidized housing, got the nod from Sempra, which gave $10,000 on October 2.

Californians for Jobs & A Strong Economy, which spreads its money to the reelection campaigns of industry-favored legislators, got $10,000 from Sempra on October 9.

Other big givers to the fund have included Walmart, Blue Diamond Growers, and Microsoft. Additional recipients of $10,000 donations from Sempra included the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce PAC.