Tapping the homeless lobby for Cole's political debt retirement
Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins and spouse Jennifer LeSar staging Cole political payback bash on Sunday at LeSar's San Diego consulting firm
With the blood money battle between the GOP's wealthy Lincoln Club and big labor all wrapped up in San Diego's fourth city council district, one of San Diego's poorest, it's time to pay the piper. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/27/48219/ Though a final campaign …
Playing follow the money with DeMaio vs. Peters
Military, cell-phone, conservative, and San Diego State University lobbies all factor in fast-paced, high-dollar San Diego congressional race
With Carl DeMaio set to kick off his campaign for congress this evening in the shopping aisles of Coles Carpets, the race for special interest campaign cash between the Republican former San Diego city councilman and his rival, incumbent Democrat …
Ethics watchdog instructs ex-San Diego mayor on how to cool off
Advice letter to former mayor Jerry Sanders comes after questions about Republican’s road trip to Mexico City with current Democratic mayor Bob Filner
The hottest days of summer are right around the corner, so what better time for craft beer-promoting ex-San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders to find even more ways to cool off? Of course, the advice might also have come in handy …
Mob lawyer’s memoir omits Hedgecock and Manchester
No mention of infamous client Roger Hedgecock, political godfather Doug Manchester, nor Moe Dalitz's notorious La Costa resort in new book by Las Vegas ex-mayor Oscar Goodman
San Diego has had a long line of controversial mayors, but arguably no one as colorful - and Mafia connected - as the former mayor of Las Vegas, ex-mob lawyer Oscar Goodman, who also has more than a few memorable …
San Diego's GOP fundraising fox hosted by lobbyists' PAC
House Republican Darrell Issa partakes of multiple dips in D.C. law and lobbying firm's golden money pool
With half-time approaching, it's been a lucrative political fundraising year for members of San Diego's congressional delegation, both Democratic and Republican. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/21/47931/ Freshman Democrat Juan Vargas kicked off the big cash harvest in March with his first annual “Margaritas, Mariachis …
Free Vargas road trip rolls into Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
Freshman Democrat's first free trip of congressional career takes him to familiar lobbyist golfing territory
When he was a member of the state legislature and a big favorite of insurance companies, Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas regularly showed up at free golf outings around the country including, according to a March 2006 report in what was …
SDSU's expose of DeMaio coincides with Peters’ university support boast
San Diego State University-run public broadcasting operation steps into congressional fray with investigation of GOP foe of House Democrat on Armed Services committee
San Diego State University's KPBS public broadcasting operation is out today with an expose of ex-city councilman Carl DeMaio, the failed Republican San Diego mayoral candidate who recently announced he was running for congress against La Jolla Democratic freshman Scott …
Fishing for campaign funds a finished business on Hunter's political party boat
Gary Hart's "Monkey Business" has nothing on Duncan Hunter's "Finished Business" upcoming fundraising cruise backed by boat makers lobby
Democratic Senator Gary Hart had his fling with Donna Rice in Bimini on a yacht called Monkey Business back in 1987. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/18/47713/ Next month congressman Duncan Hunter is planning on doing another kind of politicking on a yacht called Finished …
Governor's sister and crony now both on Sempra board
Brown family has history of controversy regarding cross-border-related energy involvement in California and Mexico
Governor Jerry Brown's insider contingent at Sempra Energy got bigger last week with the announcement that his sister, former California Treasurer Kathleen Brown, had joined the board of the San Diego-based utility giant, which owns SDG&E and the Southern California …
Goldsmith grabs guns of allegedly suicidal dentist in 2nd Amendment appeal
California's 4th District appellate court holds that allegations of suicidal tendencies trump San Diego woman's constitutional right to bear arms.
Chalk up a victory for San Diego GOP city attorney Jan Goldsmith, not in his long-running power war with Democratic Mayor Bob Filner, but instead over an allegedly suicidal dentist, who - citing her constitutional right to bear arms - …
No conflicts of interest in hiring D.C. lobbyist, San Diego development honcho says
Fresh military base closure fears spawn new lobbying gig for Washington law firm of San Diego super lawyer and regional Economic Development Corporation board member
The process of deciding which of the nation's sprawling complex of military bases should be closed in the name of efficiency has always provided a lucrative arena for lobbyists, local politicos, civic boosters, and other influence peddlers. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/13/47419/ Another round …
Army to award sole source contract to Chargers for Guard recruiting
Unknown amount of U.S. tax dollars to flow to team owned by wealthy Republican Spanos family, backers of Texan Rick Perry
According to a twitter round-up this morning on U-T San Diego's website, Chargers players and cheerleaders are paying surprise visits around town today, including one to the paper's newsroom, where they were photographed with beaming staff members. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/10/47159/ Meanwhile, with …
Fullerton lawyer who backed Alvarez gets free Padres tickets from city
"Promotion of growth and development" cited as purpose of awarding ten tickets worth $87.69 each to law firm
Democratic city councilman David Alvarez is spreading some baseball love in the form of free tickets to a Padres game in the city's Petco Park, says a recent disclosure. According to a June 4 filing posted online by the city …
California's political watchdog OKs media moonlighting by Assembly staffer in San Diego
Field representative for Democrat Shirley Weber also works for Voice & Viewpoint newspaper and in marketing gigs for non-profit Reality Changers and Internet's Imagine Media Group, regulator's opinion letter says
An aide to Democratic 79th District Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has been told by the state's political watchdog agency that it is okay for her to be a reporter for a local newspaper, work in public relations and as a social …
Recipients of half of Sempra non-profit cash unidentified in disclosure
Tax-free “employee” foundation chaired by utility giant's SDG&E external affairs chief kicks in big for LGBT Center, Focus on the Family, Catholic bishop
In the wake of this week's FBI raid on the capitol offices of Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon, San Diego-based Sempra Energy has been picking up some attention as a big Calderon campaign contributor and personal gift giver. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/06/46986/ Of …
FBI raid draws spotlight to San Diego donors and legislators
Democrats Hueso and Lara, along with Viejas, Sempra, and Bridgepoint, have had big money ties to state's Latino Legislative Caucus
In a California capitol raid rivaling the Shrimpscam bust of the 1980s, FBI agents last evening rolled through the offices of Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello - a political ally of San Diego Sen. Ben Hueso, also a …
Koch-tied non-profit teams with Manchester's U-T San Diego
Partnership with non-profit news organization with reported links to Koch brothers revives talk that San Diego publisher could also team in L.A. Times takeover
Is non-profit journalism, the growing practice of using tax free foundation dollars to sponsor what used to be done by now-fading advertiser-supported media, just for liberals? http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/03/46759/ Not if San Diego hotel magnate and GOP publisher Douglas Manchester's U-T San …
Filner rips hotel moguls as secret 8 a.m. lawsuit session looms tomorrow
New court battle possible against Democratic mayor as litigious luxury inn magnates set to meet behind closed doors at 8 a.m. tomorrow to ponder legal moves
Late this afternoon, San Diego mayor Bob Filner issued a statement ripping the city's hotel magnates on the eve of a meeting that may spawn yet another legal war against the Democratic mayor by San Diego's old line GOP tourism …
Predator drones and Qualcomm cash likely to finance Peters-DeMaio clash
Today's GOP announcement launches scramble for millions of special interest money from deep pockets of San Diego's high-tech and military contracting political bases
It's too soon to find any information posted online by the Federal Election Commission regarding the cash behind today's just-launched congressional campaign of Carl DeMaio, the Republican ex-city councilman who last year lost his mayoral election bid to Democrat Bob …
Sempra spends big, lobbies Rand Paul's anti-regulation bill
San Diego-based utility giant lists Kentucky GOP senator's "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act" as a top lobbying topic, employs ex-Feinstein aide as lobbyist for Mexico wind farm
Federal lobbying disclosure reports for the first quarter of this year posted online by the U.S. Congress reveal that lobbyists for San Diego's Sempra Energy have been busy as usual in Washington, D.C., tackling a host of controversial issues, many …