For the full story detailing Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz receiving campaign support from Lombardo & Gilles, which represents DMB-El Rancho San Benito, go here.
HOLLISTER
Supervisor Margie Barrios today declined to reveal unitemized campaign donations of $99 or less after a request from the Free Lance that she examine whether she received any from the law firm representing DMB-El Rancho San Benito. The first-term supervisor said she decided against identifying any of those donors because they expect their names to remain undisclosed when contributing.
While she had no itemized contributions from Lombardo & Gilles, Barrios said she would not verify whether the firm contributed unitemized donations because if she discloses one donor’s identity, she would “have to do the same for all of them.” She stressed that donors contribute under $100 because they “do it with the knowledge it’s not going to be reportable.”
Barrios, elected in June to succeed former District 1 Supervisor Don Marcus, said she was unsure whether she accepted any unitemized donations from the firm and that she had not examined her records to find out since the initial Free Lance inquiry Monday, when she noted she would check those documents.
During her campaign, Barrios raised $25,568, according to her reports. Of that, $9,338 in donations were listed as unitemized, according to the documents.
“I do not know if they did (donate) and I’m not even going to look because of the reason I just stated,” Barrios said.
The request to Barrios and other county board members earlier this week followed confirmation that Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz during his 2008 reelection campaign had two fundraisers organized by Lombardo & Gilles – which represents developer DMB – and that the same firm also oversaw the official’s election-night party at the Broken Wing and offered to pay for the event’s balance of about $100.
Attorney Jeff Gilles, a firm partner, has noted in response how the business backs political candidates who support the agriculture industry. And DMB official Mike Roberts, who took over the project’s management in July, has told the Free Lance he was unaware of Lombardo & Gilles’ political fundraising activity.
Two other supervisors have acknowledged receiving unitemized donations from Lombardo & Gilles, which represents the company proposing to build 6,800 homes off Highway 25 northwest of Hollister. Supervisor Anthony Botelho said he had accepted “a few” $99 checks from the firm leading up to his 2008 victory. Supervisor Reb Monaco, meanwhile, said he is “sure” he had received contributions from the firm – he last ran in November 2006 – but that he was uncertain about specific numbers.
Monaco did, however, accept a $1,412 donation from DMB Associates in February 2007, according to his campaign finance reports.
One other supervisor, De La Cruz, received an itemized $300 donation from Lombardo & Gilles in April 2007, according to campaign reports.
