Several late contributions came in regarding the Measure J initiative – from big oil companies on one side and donors associated with major environmental groups on the other – for the November ballot.
Candidates and committees were required to submit campaign finance reports by Oct. 6, though they can submit late reports in the days following the deadline. Supporters of the initiative received late donations that included $10,000 from Michael Finkelstein, director of operations for the Center for Biological Diversity, on Oct. 10; and then $1,000 from the Sawyer Law Group in Palo Alto, $1,000 from 350 Bay Area, and $2,000 from Carmel Valley resident Nancy Burnett, with those three coming in Oct. 8.
Those donations went with a previously reported late contribution from Oct. 6 – $2,000 from the Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta Chapter.
On the opposition side, the primary contributor of the campaign – oil-funded Californians for Energy Independence, Including Energy Producers – submitted late contributions of $114,000 on Oct. 9 and $7,813 on Oct. 8, according to campaign finance documents.
As a whole up until those late contributions, the No on Measure J side had raised more than $1.7 million for its campaign through the filing deadline Oct. 6, while the yes side had raised about $120,000, according to campaign finance documents.
Candidates and committees had to submit their latest reports detailing expenditures and donations. Two committees are listed on the support side as taking part in funding activities, while two other committees are listed on the opposition side.
No on J – San Benito United for Energy Independence had raised $1,741,289 and had spent $1,338,486 from January through September. That is the local affiliate of the larger group – Californians for Energy Independence, Including Energy Producers – which also reported independent expenditures of $129,905.
On the supporting side, Coalition to Protect San Benito had raised $55,964 in cash and another $19,275 in non-monetary contributions along with the additional late contribution reported of $2,000, while the group had spent $38,870. San Benito Rising, an earlier version of the group, had raised $45,297 and had spent $32,428 through September, according to the campaign finance reports.
As for donations, the San Benito United for Energy Independence group has one donor, $1,741,239 from the Californians for Energy Independence committee funded by big oil companies such as Chevron Corp. and Aera Energy.
The Yes on Measure J side has dozens of donors – with Sally Calhoun contributing the largest amount, $6,000 – outside of transferring funds from the San Benito Rising account. The Sierra Club’s Loma Prieta Chapter had donated $2,000 through September, according to a late contribution report.
