Jose Duran, president of the Anaheim Police Association, speaks in favor of a “gate tax” on Disney theme park admissions during public comments.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
On Tuesday, October 28th, the Anaheim City Council rejected a push by the Anaheim Police Association—the union representing 400 sworn personnel employed by the city’s police department—to place a measure on the ballot that would impose a “gate tax” on Disney theme park admissions.
Despite a parade of police union leaders speaking out in favor of the measure during public comments, proponent Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, whose political campaigns have been heavily funded by law enforcement, was forced to acknowledge that it was “dead on arrival” after a lengthy debate.
In addition to Gaby Sutter, the Anaheim Police Association’s executive director, others from that organization who addressed the council included Jose Duran, the president, Tony Lee, its vice president, and Cesar Aguilar and Breana Castro, members of their political action committee board.
Photos obtained by The Anaheim Investigator that were used in last year’s campaign opposing Rubalcava’s recall show Duran, Lee, Aguilar, Castro, and other police union leaders posing with the councilwoman; many also hold signs with the words, “Anaheim’s First Responders Say Vote No Recall.”
Rubalcava with police union leaders (circled in red) who spoke at the meeting.
Like most surveys, it reflected the needs and priorities of those who funded it, and a number of questions used wording which favored positions aligned with the police union, such as repeated items about expanding Anaheim Police Departmentstaffing levels and boosting pay and benefits of officers.
In a brief conversation, Rubalcava denied being privy to any details of their survey before requesting that an item about the “gate tax” be placed on a future city council meeting agenda. However, she admitted that they, along with another union, were part of an “emerging coalition” supportive of it.
But this issue is far from settled. Although the city council opted not to put the measure on the ballot at this time, members voted 5–2 to continue the item so it can be included in a wider review of revenues, the budget cycle, and prospective city projects. A date for that discussion has not yet been set.
Campaign photo of Natalie Rubalcava with Jose Duran (second left), president of the Anaheim Police Association, and three of their board members (right).
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Police Association—the union representing 400 sworn personnel employed by the city’s police department—commissioned a survey in mid-August asking residents if they supported “new taxes” on Disney theme park admissions providing the revenue would “help with long-term budget issues without cutting services.”
The survey in question, of which a link was texted directly to the smartphones of individuals that The Anaheim Investigator characterizes as being “high propensity voters,” was conducted through Qualtrics, a platform frequently used by political strategists to gauge public opinion on candidates, issues, or ballot measures in real-time.
Although the Anaheim Police Association has not yet publicly endorsed a “gate tax,” evidence indicates they, along with the Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, are part of an “emerging coalition” supportive of it–something proponent Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava acknowledged in a brief conversation earlier this month.
Screenshot of completed survey questions on new taxes.
Like most surveys, this one was designed to reflect the needs, wants, and priorities of those who funded it, and a number of questions used wording that favored positions aligned with the police union, such as repeated items about expanding Anaheim Police Departmentstaffing levels and boosting the pay and benefits of officers.
Moreover, some questions exposed matters hidden from public view, such as an ongoing dispute with The Walt Disney Company over how cops assigned to patrol their theme parks do their job: “If there is a disagreement over how these officers should enforce the law and public safety at Disney, who should make the decision?”
Respondents were also asked to weigh in on other important issues, including whether or not they believed Disneyland wields “too much influence at city hall,” how millions in surplus funds freed up by paying off infrastructure bonds needs to be spent, and if our police force should “cooperate with federal immigration officials.”
Screenshot of completed survey questions on police staffing.
Because the survey was most likely completed before Councilwoman Rubalcava officially requested the item of a “gate tax” be placed on the agenda of the September 23rd city council meeting, The Investigator approached her to inquire if the police union shared the results with her. She denied being privy to any details.
However, when Rubalcava was asked separately about a message about the “gate tax” she posted to her Instagram account on September 19th and shared with both the Anaheim Police Association and Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, she admitted they were part of an “emerging coalition” that was supportive of it.
The Anaheim Municipal Employees Association has also heavily backed Rubalcava and represents non-sworn personnel at the Anaheim Police Department. Jonnae Barreras, its president, is a senior police analyst who earned $135,953 in pay and benefits last year. Two other members of their board work for the department as well.
It should be noted that Barreras and other top leaders of the Anaheim Police Association are in multiple photos obtained by The Investigator that were used in the campaign to defeat Rubalcava’s recall. Several of them, including her, can be seen holding up signs emblazoned with the words “Anaheim’s First Responders Say Vote No Recall.”
Jonnae Barreras, President, Anaheim Municipal Employees Association.
Tony Lee, Vice-President, Anaheim Police Association.
Steven Dahl, Secretary, Anaheim Police Association.
Michael Fleet, Treasurer, Anaheim Police Association.
For the record, The Investigator made at least three attempts via email to contact Duran and Barreras to ask them about matters that were touched upon in this article. But neither has bothered to respond to our inquiries. Rubalcava–who actually invited us to send her follow-up questions–has not replied to any of our messages either.
Concept image of what a gondola stop at Anaheim GardenWalk, located on the northside of Katella Avenue, might look like.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Internal emails, contracts, and PowerPoint presentations obtained by The Anaheim Investigator through the public records act reveal city planners are exploring the option of constructing an aerial gondola system to connect the Platinum Triangle with the Anaheim Resort in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
While the final route has yet to be decided, there seems to be interest in an alignment running east-west along Katella Avenue featuring six stops. At Harbor Boulevard, the line would split into two branches, each ending near the eastern entrances of Disneyland, California Adventure theme parks and the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Katella Avenue route for the proposed gondola system.
Emails reviewed by The Investigator show Jeral Poskey, CEO of Swyft Cities, and Clay Griggs, one of the firm’s co-founders, have already discussed their gondola concept with “key stakeholders” such as The Walt Disney Company and OCVibe, a $4-billion mixed-use district being developed on 100-acres of land surrounding the Honda Center.
In a March 5th message Griggssent out to several city planners working with him on this matter, he emphatically boasted that “our meeting earlier with OCVibe went very well,” hinting they were quite supportive of it. “They will be sending over plans for the parking garage; they are currently envisioning our maintenance facility on the top floor.”
Indeed, a floor plan created by OCVibe and reproduced in a PowerPoint slide demonstrates their commitment to Swyft Cities isn’t just limited to offering space for a “maintenance facility,” but a control center, charging bays, and even a boarding station–all within walking distance of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
OCVibe floor plan for a gondola maintenance facility.
Concept image of gondolas next to OCVibe parking garage.
During initial talks with Swyft Cities, city planners were told that towers erected to hold the gondola cables in place could be specially customized to resemble the Los Angeles Angels’ iconic “Big A” logo—an idea which taps into Anaheim’s distinct character as being the only city in Orange County that hosts a major league baseball team.
Two design renderings the firm created not only contrast the scale and form of an imagined “Angels” tower with a “standard single” tower but also provide a birds-eye glimpse of how it might actually appear in real life facing west on Katella Avenue toward the Anaheim Convention Center and California Adventure theme park.
However, building a gondola system along Katella Avenue might be problematic. As Poskey himself acknowledged in an email, there are “palm trees”–literally hundreds of them. Many would have to be removed to make way for the towers, and it is not inconceivable that could generate opposition from both residents and hoteliers alike.
“Angels” tower vs. “Standard Single” tower.
Concept image for a gondola system using “Angels” towers.
Last December, Swyft Citiesshared a PowerPoint presentation indicating that their gondola system—comprising of a fleet of around 35 “pods”—could be implemented at an estimated cost of roughly $33 to $37 million. This equated to just under $11 million per mile, subject to variation based on final design and alignment considerations.
Estimated cost for a 3.5-mile route last December: $37 million.
Estimated cost for a 3.8-mile route in July: $125.7 million.
As of today, no source of funds has been identified to pay for this system. However, one slide included in the July PowerPoint presentation says that financing could come from public-private partnerships, grants, and the California Infrastructure & Economic Development Bank, a public entity owned and operated by the state.
Emails reveal city planners here reached out to their Irvine counterparts to learn more about it. “I wanted to check in to see if you have cost estimates or any other useful information to share in your due diligence on Swyft Cities,” wrote Rudy Emami, public works director, in a March 11th message to Sean Crumby, who held a similar job in that town.
Email inquiry about the gondola project in Irvine.
While “key stakeholders” like OCVibe have quietly expressed enthusiasm for the gondola system, its implementation is not a foregone conclusion. Because Swyft Cities has never delivered a fully operational system, there are concerns about its ability to fulfill its promises–putting taxpayer money at risk of significant cost overruns and system failure.
Mike Lyster, the city’s chief communications officer, told The Investigator that gondolas aren’t the only option being explored to connect the Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Resort: “We continue to look at transportation technology from a half-dozen or more different providers. It would be incorrect to suggest we’re focused on a single one.”
“In the months ahead, we could issue a potential request for information from many different types of transit tech companies out there, including gondola, trackless, autonomous, trams and others,” Lyster added. “We may need a consultant to help with this process … But nothing has been decided, and nothing is scheduled at this point.”
Gloria Ma’ae, James Vanderpool, Jose Diaz, and Scott Voigts at a holiday party thrown by Curt Pringle & Associates in December 2022.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Photographs obtained by The Anaheim Investigator reveal that City Manager James Vanderpool not only attended an annual holiday party thrown by Curt Pringle & Associates, a prominent lobbyist firm, in December 2022, but he was there along with two other elected officials, including then Councilman Jose Diaz and current Councilwoman Natalie Meeks.
Our article pointed out Meek’s close relationship with this lobbyist began almost twenty years ago when she served as director of public works while he was mayor. In 2022, both Pringle and his wife Alexis pumped $4,400 into her city council campaign. A photo we published showed her hanging out at his annual holiday party about a month after she won the election.
The party that the councilwoman attended, an invitation only event, was held on December 7, 2022 at The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon, located less than two miles away from the offices of Curt Pringle & Associates. Besides Diaz, Meeks, and Vanderpool being present, so was outgoing Councilwoman Gloria Ma’ae. And of course, Pringle and his wife were there.
Meeks at Pringle’s holiday party in December 2022.
The Investigator has photos of Vanderpool at events going all the way back to the days when he was deputy city manager of Buena Park. For example, in October 2011, he attended a private reception co-hosted by Pringle that was held at the The Catch, a defunct restaurant previously owned by an Arizona businessman who had close ties to Mayor Harry Sidhu.
One image shows him talking to an OCTA official and a Buena Park councilman. In others, just standing amongst the crowd. And he was in good company: Cunningham, Meeks, and Sidhu were present. So were Todd Ament, president/CEO of the Anaheim Chamber, Carrie Nocella, a controversial Disney executive, and Councilwoman Kris Murray.
Vanderpool at The Catch restaurant in October 2011.
In May 2019, Vanderpool went to the SCAG conference again. This time, however, he was accompanied by Sunny Park, a Buena Park councilwoman. One photo, which was taken inside of a restaurant, shows both of them hanging out with Jennifer Fitzgerald, who was vice president of Curt Pringle & Associates until she moved to Texas in 2021.
Vanderpool and Cunningham (wearing sunglasses) with Pringle’s daughter.
Vanderpool, Park, and Fitzgerald in May 2019.
The Investigator also has photos of Vanderpool attending a charity fundraiser at the offices of Curt Pringle & Associates in April 2019. In one image he can be seen behind Paul Simonds, then senior vice-president of the firm, and Councilman Trevor O’Neil, who voted to make him Anaheim city manager in 2020 after Mayor Sidhu abruptly fired the previous one.
Vanderpool (circled in red) at a Pringle charity fundraiser in April 2019.
For the record, there were no rules in Buena Park or Anaheim which forbid Vanderpool from attending these private parties and receptions, much less report them. Moreover, though Curt Pringle & Associates has been a lobbyist for companies seeking city contracts in both municipalities, The Investigator has no evidence he improperly used his power on their behalf.
But in this era of increased transparency, it does raise serious questions if the public calendar policy, which was adopted in 2023, should require elected officials and city staffers to disclose all of their interactions with registered lobbyists, even reporting their attendance at private events where no city business was discussed–something not currently being done.
“Council members are expected to use judgment and always keep the best interest of the city and those we serve in mind,” said Mike Lyster, a spokesperson for the city. “A holiday party in and of itself would not necessarily require reporting. If significant city business were discussed, a member would be expected to report that on their calendars.”
In addition, the public calendar policy imposes absolutely no civil or criminal penalties on persons who are found to be in direct violation of it. Though the city council moved quickly last year to make it a crime for unsheltered individuals to sleep on a sidewalk, they seem to be loath to regulate themselves when it comes to them abusing their own power.
The Investigator did make a good faith effort to contact Vanderpool for this article. Because we wanted to better understand his longstanding relationship with lobbyists linked to Curt Pringle & Associates, we aggressively sought his comments. But so far, as of publication date, he hasn’t bothered to respond to any of the email messages we sent him.
Curt Pringle. president of Curt Pringle & Associates, with Councilwoman Natalie Meeks at OCV!be Unveiled on September 25, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Investigator has evidence which suggests that Councilwoman Natalie Meeks might have deliberately withheld information from her public calendar to conceal the fact she met with a registered lobbyist hired by a company that seeks future contracts with the city potentially worth millions of dollars.
The lobbyist in question, Curt Pringle, president of Curt Pringle & Associates, not only has known Meeks since 2007 when she served under him as director of public works while he was mayor, but campaign finance paperwork filed with the city clerk shows both he and his wife contributed several thousand dollars to her city council campaign in 2022.
The omission was discovered by a confidential source who tipped off The Investigatora few days after noticing glaring discrepancies between two December 2024 entries in public calendars posted online by Meeks and Deputy City Manager Ted White, who was also with the councilwoman when she met Pringle.
Meeks’ December 3rd entry about the Glydways meeting.
White’s entry, however, was more detailed. Not only did he state the topic of the meeting but recorded the names and titles of everybody present. According to him there were nine people, including himself, Meeks, and Rudy Emami, the current director of public works. And who was the lobbyist? “Curt Pringle, Curt Pringle & Associates,” he typed.
White’s December 3rd entry about the Glydways meeting.
This is not the first time Meeks has failed to disclose her interactions with Pringle. Several photographs The Investigator obtained of OCV!be Unveiled, a ceremony which took place on September 25, 2024, not only reveal the councilwoman was present, but she can be seen mingling with both Pringle and Matthew Hicks, another registered lobbyist.
One image shows Meeks standing next to Don Wagner, an Orange County supervisor who serves the third district. Pringle can be seen on her right, along with Hicks and Paul Simonds, who was then senior vice president of Curt Pringle & Associates. Directly behind them is a photo collage composed of Anaheim Ducks hockey players.
The Investigator has no evidence that city business was discussed during this encounter. And a thorough review of Meeks public calendar for the month of September shows that she didn’t even bother to report that she attended this ceremony. However, to be completely fair, neither did Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, who was there as well.
Simonds, Hicks, Pringle, Meeks, and Wagner.
Meeks close relationship with Pringle spans across two decades. During her tenure as public works director, which began in 2007, she championed many of the same projects he backed as mayor, including building ARTIC near the Angel Stadium. She, like him, also favored a streetcar system connecting the Anaheim Resort with the Platinum Triangle.
Her loyalty to Pringle was handsomely rewarded in 2022 when he not only endorsed her for city council but, along with his wife Alexis, pumped $4,400 into her campaign. About a month after Meeks emerged victorious in that race, photos The Investigator has in its possession show her hanging out at Curt Pringle & Associates annual holiday bash.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, plus revelations Sidhu was under investigation by the FBI for corruption, put discussions about these matters on hold. The ball was later picked up by the Anaheim Transportation Network, the quasi-public company that operates a fleet of electric buses which shuttle tourists and workers around the Anaheim Resort.
An email obtained by The Investigator in 2020.
Glydways, the firm that hired Pringle as a lobbyist, is a high-tech company headquartered in San Francisco. Though not a streetcar manufacturer, it is developing small driverless vehicles, one option city officials are now considering in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which is expected to draw millions of visitors.
On its website, Glydways claims cities will spend less on infrastructure if they adopt their system. Maybe so. However, it still might be a tough sell if it eventually comes before the city council. Such transit projects require millions of dollars in federal grants. And with Donald Trump in power, its not a sure thing Anaheim will get them.
From Glydways website.
For the record, The Investigator reached out to Meeks for comment. For example, we asked her everything from why she didn’t include Pringle’s name on her December 3rd entry to inquiring if her office initiated the Glydways meeting. We questioned her about what dealings she had with Pringle and Hicks at the OCV!be Unveiled ceremony.
The councilwoman issued the following statement:
The OCVibe event was a celebration for the initial phase of construction. No business was discussed and, under the guidelines in place at the time, it was not a meeting listed on my public calendar.
The December 3 meetings in Northern California were coordinated through city staff at the request of those transportation vendors. They were both educational meetings to learn about the transportation technologies each company is pursuing.
Several questions were emailed to Mike Lyster, chief communications officer for the city, which were also copied to other city officials, including the city ethics officer. Because we were aware of Meeks close ties to Pringle, our primary concern was whether or not she, or her senior policy aide, set up the meeting on his behalf.
In response, Lyster wrote:
The meeting was not initiated by Mayor Pro Tem Meeks or her office. Meeks did not bring the company to our attention.
Anaheim Public Works had been talking with Glydways since early 2023. Extending out of that conversation was an invitation to visit the company’s test track.
Other Council members were also invited for the visit. As an engineer by training, Meeks opted to join the city delegation, which also included city staff.
Glydways is one of several types of transportation technology we look at on an ongoing basis. Others include Swyft Cities,Waymo and Tesla’s autonomous vehicles.
We look at transportation technologies, including Glydways, with an eye toward moving people between the Anaheim Resort and the Platinum Triangle, not necessarily for the 2028 Olympics but with potential benefits for the event.
All of this remains in the exploratory stage with no technology or course of action set at this point.
Ken Potrock (l), president of the Disneyland Resort, with Carrie Nocella (r) while Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s father (c) sits at a table behind them.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
On the evening of Thursday, June 22, 2023, The Anaheim Investigator emailed a routine public records act request asking Mike Lyster, Chief Communications Officer for the City of Anaheim, to release all photographs his office had that were taken “before, during, and after” Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’sState of the City address and luncheon, an event which took place at the City National Grove in May of that year.
In response, The Investigator got several dozen. Many were shot by Joshua Suddock, a freelance photographer, who had done work for the Orange County Register and other newspapers. Suddock, however, had a peculiar affinity: he loved taking photos of everything involving the Disneyland Resort. And several images that he captured of the audience listening to the mayor speak were quite revealing.
Suddock’s photos show Disney employees, many from their public relations department, came out in full force that day. In one of them, Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort, can be seen with Carrie Nocella, the controversial director of external affairs for the theme park. Seated in the background is Wylie Aitken, the mayor’s father, who, along with the rest of her family, was at a table right next to them.
Perhaps it was a fluke that both the Aitken family and representatives from The Walt Disney Companywere sitting so close to each other. But The Investigator has uncovered evidence suggesting ties between the two have previously been much deeper than what is publicly known. In fact, our reporting about their curious relationship with Nocellain December 2023 and last year was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Through a careful review of campaign finance paperwork filed with the state and federal governments, photos, archived website data, social media posts, and other records, The Investigator has learned the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, the political machine the Aitken family used for many years to exert their influence over local politics, was the recipient of thousands of dollars from The Walt Disney Company.
In addition, The Investigator has discovered that on at least one occasion, the Disneyland Resort gave the Democratic Foundation free meeting space for a fundraiser held at their Grand Californian Hotel, even providing food and drinks for its well-heeled members at absolutely no charge. And photos clearly show Michael Penn, the husband of Mayor Aitken, was with Nocella at this particular function.
The Democratic Foundation was founded in 1983 by Howard Adler, a developer, and Richard O’Neill, a rancher that owned 52,000 acres of land in south Orange County. Both men, who were active in the Democratic Party at the local and state levels, created it to be a counterweight to the Lincoln Club of Orange County, an elite group of businessmen who poured millions into the campaign coffers of Republican politicians.
The idea was to bring together at least 100 big donors who would each kick in about $1,000 a year to not only help finance voter registration drives, but to support Democratic candidates running for various offices. One of the group’s early successes was getting Tom Umberg elected to a seat in the state assembly in 1990. His main opponent was Curt Pringle, who would later become mayor of Anaheim in 2002.
After serving 17 years as chair, Wylie stepped down in 2009. However, he still maintained a tight grip on the organization through close allies like Dan Jacobson, the Tustin-based attorney who succeeded him, and Penn, his son-in-law. Archived website data shows that the elder Aitken ended up on their board of directors and was later joined by Penn, who became vice chair in 2016, and eventually chair in 2019.
Campaign finance records reviewed by The Investigator reveal the Democratic Foundation over the years received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from a tight-knit coterie of lawyers, corporate executives, elected officials, and party operatives. However, it also got money from another source: a billion-dollar entertainment giant whose amusement park in Anaheim claims to be “the happiest place on earth.”
Between 2011 and 2019, The Walt Disney Company funneled about $22,710 into the Democratic Foundation. Though the yearly amounts varied, paperwork the latter filed with the California Secretary of Stateshows this corporate entity was a member of the group, even paying the required annual membership dues–something that Jacobson, the chair, would quite frankly admit in a message he posted on Facebook.
Data from the Secretary of State.
But the Democratic Foundation didn’t just get cash from TheWalt Disney Company. The Investigator has compelling evidence that on at least one occasion, the Disneyland Resort gave them free meeting space for a special fundraiser held at a restaurant located inside their Grand Californian Hotel, even providing food and drinks at no charge. And photos do show both Penn and Nocella were present.
The fundraiser in question, which took place on Friday, July 8, 2016, occurred in the private dining room of the Napa Rose. It was advertised by the Democratic Foundation, both on their website and social media, as being an “intimate meal” with State Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, a Democrat, who was then speaker. “This is not a banquet,” they emphasized. “We will all be seated at one table with Anthony.”
“The cost of the luncheon will be $1,100 per plate,” according to a message posted on their Facebook page in June 2016. “The money raised is slated to go toward the publication and distribution of the Orange County Voter Guide, our award-winning and beautiful mailer that goes to high-propensity Orange CountyDemocratic voters. So, your contribution will get Democrats elected in Orange County.”
Numerous photos obtained by The Investigator reveal about 20 people were in attendance. The images show Rendon, who was the featured guest, had been seated in between Jacobson and Nocella. Directly across from him was Penn, who was vice chair. Further to his left was State Assemblyman Tom Daly; to his right, near the end of the table, was State Assemblywoman SharonQuirk-Silva and her husband.
Michael Penn seated across from Anthony Rendon at the Napa Rose.
Dan Jacobson with Rendon and Nocella.
Rendon and Nocella.
Rendon and Nocella.
Penn on the right.
Tom Daly on the right.
According to a Form 461 that The Walt Disney Company filed with the California Secretary of State in 2017, they reported spending $2077.13 on this fundraiser. Under the category which obligated the entertainment giant to at least partially describe what they paid for, it was listed as an “In-kind contribution for event expenses,” which means they footed the entire bill for meals, beverages, and other related costs.
This event was not the only one the Disneyland Resort hosted for the Democratic Foundation. In March 2012, they were allowed to use the Disneyland Hotel for a similar gathering with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. Food and drinks were free for members who paid their dues. But it was not a fundraiser. Beyond announcements posted online, no records of it could be found in any paperwork filed with the federal government.
It is not known if Nocella was present at this function. However, her links to the former congresswoman are well-documented. Last year, The Investigator pointed out that between January 1997 and August 1998, she was an intern for the Campaign to Re-Elect Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, focusing on “campaign strategy, labor outreach and strategy, fundraising, and event planning.”
As The Investigator previously reported, this relationship goes back to the early 1990s. Between 1991 and 1993, Ashleigh and Nocella attended Rosary Academy, a small, elite Roman Catholic all-girls college-prep school located in Fullerton. Though they were not classmates, they shared similar politics and career goals: both women did campaign work for Congresswoman Sanchez; they later pursued law degrees.
More than a decade later, the career path Nocella embarked upon would once again intertwine with Ashleigh and her family. In 2010, after being made director of government relations for the Disneyland Resort, she became a visible figure within local political circles, mingling with elected officials who were linked to the Democratic Foundation–all of whom, interestingly enough, had deep ties to the Aitkens.
Nobody should be the least bit surprised with any of this. The Investigator has long since been aware politics is a game for the wealthy. Out of the 350,000 people who live in this town, only a tiny handful of rich people run it. And they mostly live in the same neighborhoods, send their children to same schools, belong to the same non-profit organizations, and sometimes even share the same circle of friends.
Ashleigh Aitken with Tom Umberg and Jordan Brandman in 2018.
For example, while investigating Nocella, we discovered Ashleigh’s political career was set into motion by Curt Pringle, who as Republican mayor of Anaheim, nominated her to the Community Services Boardin June 2004, and then again in June 2006. Despite the fact Pringle and her father had been at odds with each other in the past, the Aitkens allied with him to create the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center.
The relationship between the two former adversaries grew so close that Wylie wrote out a $1500 check to the Curt Pringle for Mayor 2006 campaign committee on June 22, 2006, according to a Form 460 filed that year. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but public records show the contribution, the maximum allowed at that time, was made two days after the mayormoved to reappoint his daughter to a city board.
This article represents the last one of a three-part series by The Investigator which has explored the Aitken family’s ties to Nocella. During our two-year inquiry, we can now safely say it does in fact exist. But this relationship, like many others, appears to be transactional in nature and mostly a product of them being part of the same overlapping social and political networks that they share in common.
The reason why the Pringle connection was brought up was to show that the former Republican mayor, much like the Disney executive, belonged to similar networks the Aitkens circulated in. What apparently brought them together–besides Wylie’s possible desire to see his daughter be appointed to a city board to use as a stepping stone for higher public office–was the goal of creating the Muzeo Museum.
Like other ruling class families, the Aitkens have sat on the boards and committees of many different non-profit organizations–from the Girl Scouts of Orange Countyto Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This has allowed them to rub elbows with wealthy donors, corporate executives, and mega-billionaires who control the biggest business interests in Anaheim, such as Angels Baseball, Honda Center, and the Disneyland Resort.
The Democratic Foundation, the political machine they have controlled for years, has a long history of backing “business friendly” candidates for public office. That The Walt Disney Company gave them financial support should be of no surprise because this group has been pivotal in electing politicians who champion policies which make their theme park operations here in Anaheim extremely profitable.
Berenice Ballinas, Kristen Maahs-Kolberg, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, and Pepe Avila at Angel Stadium on June 7, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
More than 200 photographs currently in the possession of The Anaheim Investigatorshow that although the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Angel Stadium on June 7th attracted far less council members than it did back in 2023, there were more candidates. Furthermore, a number of new faces were present this year, including Paul Kott, a local realtor, and Josh Newman, a state senator that represents the 29th district.
Several others show Aitken mingling with Ross McCune, owner and president of Calsteal Builders Inc., and William O’Connell III, director of operations for Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim. In another photo, the mayor is seated at table in between Jerry Jordan, the new president/CEO of the Anaheim Chamber, and Alicia Valadez-Gonzalez, chairwoman of their board of directors. She is also a community relations manager for Northgate Markets.
Aitken and O’Connell III.
Councilman Stephen Faessal can be seen eating lunch with Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels Baseball, and State Senator Newman, who kept fidgeting with his smartphone. Seated right next to him was James Vanderpool, the city manager. Other persons in attendance included the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas, Mayor Pro-Tem Norma Campos-Kurtz, Fire Chief Pat Russell, and Third District Supervisor Don Wagner.
Ryan Bailus, a candidate running for city council in district 1, also made his presence known. Unlike Maahs-Kolberg and Campos-Kurtz, both of whom will be facing voters for the very first time in November, this is his second try. In 2020, Bailus ran a spirited campaign against Councilwoman Denise Barnes, an incumbent, and Jose Diaz, coming in third with 19.8% of the vote. This year his only opponent is Ojaala Ahmed.
Bailus and Wagner.
The luncheon, an annual event that is organized by the Anaheim Chamber, typically brings in a youth sports league from the local community to meet and interact with persons who played for Angels Baseball, both past and present. However, the only featured guests this time around were Perry Minasian, the team’s general manager, and Trent Rush, a reporter and host forAM 830 KLAA, a radio station owned by the club.
Tom Daly with Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and his wife Debbie at the State of the City Address on June 6, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Tom Daly, a lobbyist retained by SALT Development, a Utah-based real estate firm that is planning to build 498 luxury apartments, single-family estates, and commercial space on ecologically-sensitive land in Anaheim Hills, has deep ties to the family of Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.
Besides the fact Dalyhas been an advisor to the mayor, campaign finance records reviewed by The Anaheim Investigator show he was a member of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, the political machine Wylie Aitken, her father, used to wield his influence over local politics.
But Form 460s that were later filed with the California Secretary of State reveal that the former state assemblyman pumped $15,050 into the Democratic Foundation from 2014 to 2018, even paying their $1,100 annual membership dues. He also gave them $4,000 in 2002.
From the Secretary of State.
Additionally, other records disclose that Wylie himself wrote out big checks to help Daly in his bids for public office. Between the years of 2012 and 2017, he contributed about $6,500 to his state assembly campaigns, usually in dollar amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
Numerous photographs in the possession of The Investigator make it clear Daly was a featured guest at events sponsored by the Democratic Foundation. At one, he can be seen seated at a table not far from Penn. Across from them is Carrie Nocella, an executive with the Disneyland Resort.
Mitchell is no stranger to the political arena. He is a consultant for several law enforcement unions, including the Anaheim Police Association. Perhaps it should be noted that the latter spent $92,556 to help Mayor Aitken get elected in 2022, according to campaign finance records.
In response, the firm says that only half of the land will be developed, the rest being kept as open space. Potential fire risks will be mitigated by adding a dozen hydrants and removing excess vegetation. Moreover, public access to the nearby Deer Canyon Park Preserve will be improved.
For the record, The Investigator emailed questions to both Daly and Mitchell. With respect to the latter, we wondered why he has spent the past five years working for SALT Development for free and asked if he ever expects to be compensated. So far Mitchell has ignored us.
But Daly, to his credit, did send us a reply. Responding to a question we posed about whether or not his pre-existing relationships with Mayor Aitken, her family, and other council members might have played a role in the firm’s decision to hire him, he wrote as follows:
I was hired to join this project team, which will bring first-class housing and many community benefits, because I am deeply knowledgeable of Anaheim’s planning history as well as our current planning priorities. And I’m certainly aware of our pressing housing needs.
As an Anaheim native, I represented the community as an elected official for thirty-seven years. Fourteen of those were at our City Hall, where I participated in many complicated public hearings on housing proposals.
I know literally thousands of residents, including the entire city council and city staff.
In a cover letter Kathy Hattaway, a representative of Walt Disney Imagineering, submitted as part of the application process, she wrote it will provide “significant relief” to “affordable housing demand in West Orange County” and “will consist of up to 1,450 multifamily apartments … for individuals and families with incomes in the range of 50% – 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI).”
Though The Investigator doesn’t know if the company will be fronting most of the cash for this venture, a press release they posted on their Disney Parksblog reports that it will be “privately financed.” Moreover, on Disney Connect, another website owned and operated by them, not only do they say it won’t be “government funded,” but that they won’t “benefit financially from this development.”
It’s not clear why The Walt Disney Company has embarked on such an ambitious project in Florida. The Investigator believes their repeated run-ins with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis might have played a role. His appointees to the board of the now dissolved Reedy Creek Improvement District, the quasi-government body the company once controlled, have been critical of the entertainment giant.
In a scathing 72-page report released last year, they alleged this district, formed in 1967, was the “most egregious exhibition of corporate cronyism in modern American history,” noting it always “served Disney’s interests—not the interests of the wider community.” They further added it never demanded that “Disney built or set aside land for affordable housing before expanding resort properties.”
Michael Penn and his wife Mayor Ashleigh Aitken celebrating his appointment as chair of Chapman University’s Board of Governors in February 2023.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Last September, Noah Biesada and Spencer Custodio, two reporters for the Voice of OC, came very close, albeit indirectly, to exposing the Aitken family’s curious relationship with Carrie Nocella, the director of External Affairs for the Disneyland Resort. In an article entitled, “Will Mickey Mouse Continue to Cast a Big Shadow Over Anaheim’s Election Campaigns?,” they wrote about the controversial Disney executive at length.
But in their story, they included what on the surface looks like a seemingly mundane fact about Nocella: “She currently teaches a class at Chapman University titled ‘Legislative Advocacy & Lobbying,’ according to her LinkedIn page.” Perhaps they felt Nocella’s latest teaching gig was inconsequential, so they never followed up on it. However, that tidbit of information contained a valuable lead: Chapman University.
Between 1997 and 1998, Nocellawas an intern with the Campaign to Re-Elect Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, where she did “campaign strategy, labor outreach and strategy, fundraising, and event planning.” Besides the fact Sanchez was Chapman University alumna, her biggest benefactor was Wylie Aitken, a wealthy tort lawyer, who nurtured her rise to power with money, legal assistance, and political support.
Wylie Aitken and Sanchez in 2010.
After completing her studies at Chapman University, Nocella packed up her bags and headed to Northern California to attend the McGeorge School of Law, which is located on the Sacramento campus of the University of the Pacific. She earned a juris doctor degree from them in 2002 and, upon passing the state bar exam, became an attorney, working at a wide variety of different positions in both the public and private sector.
In 2007, Nocella returned to Orange County and took up a government relations job with the Disneyland Resort. She later worked alongside Matthew Hicks, the son-in-law of Democratic State Assemblyman Tom Daly and his former district director. Hicks would eventually jump ship and be hired by Henry Samueli, a Newport Beach billionaire who owns the Anaheim Ducks. He is currently vice-president of Public Affairs for ocV!BE.
For a two-year period, Nocella was also an adjunct professor at the Chapman University School of Law, teaching a course in legislative advocacy. “The class was amazing,” said Kyndell Gaglio, a former student of hers who is now an attorney. “We had a slew of guest speakers–heavy hitters from the community such as State Senator Lou Correa, Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle and Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell.”
Nocella and Sanchez in 2015.
No story about this matter is complete without addressing the influence that Wylie Aitken and his wife, Bette, wielded over Chapman University. For more than two decades, not only was this couple among their biggest donors, showering them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, but they were a catalyst in bringing about major changes to its law school, helping transform it into a world-class institution.
In a Facebook message that Aitken Aitken & Cohn, his law firm, posted in 2020, they reported he was “a key figure in supporting the founding of Chapman University Fowler School of Law and the Wylie Aitken Trial Courtroom, which is a state-of-the-art national courtroom.” They also added both he and his wife helped establish the Bette and Wylie Aitken Family Protection Clinic and Center for Lawyering and Advocacy Skills.
But Aitken’s involvement with the university wasn’t just limited to philanthropy. In 2004, he became a member of their Board of Trustees; twelve years later, he was made chair. Now at the zenith of his power, the lawyer was now in a position to make critical decisions about things other than management of the school’s finances–such as recommend or approve who gets appointed to other boards and committees.
Michael Penn, who married Ashleigh Aitken in 2002 and began working at her father’s law firm soon thereafter, was already executive vice-chair of the Board of Governors when Nocella joined. Penn, who was appointed to it in 2014, graduated from the Chapman University School of Law with a juris doctor degree in 2004. After serving eight years (of which four were with Nocella), Penn finally became chair in February 2023.
For matter of record, The Investigator did email questions about Nocella tothree key people named in this article: Loretta Sanchez, Wylie Aitken, and Michael Penn. Both Sanchez and Aitken replied within hours of us sending it. But Penn never responded. We got an automatic message which stated he would be out of the office until early January. However, it said he would check messages over the holidays. That was two weeks ago.
When The Investigator asked Sanchez about the internship Nocella did for her campaign in the late 1990s–an experience that the Disney executive boasts about on her page on LinkedIn–and if she had any knowledge of Wylie ever meeting her, the former congresswoman told us that she didn’t remember. “I have no recollection of Carrie as an intern nor do I know how she met Wylie,” she told us.
With respect to Nocella’s appointment to the university’s Board of Governors in 2018, Sanchez stated she wasn’t involved in the nominating process and didn’t know how it worked: “The Governors are a different set of people than the Trustees. I’m not on the Nominating Committee for the Trustees so I really don’t even work on nominating Trustees let alone Governors. I do not know how Governors are selected.”
As to the extent of her relationship with Nocella, Sanchez told us most dealings were through her work as a congresswoman. “I would see Carrie at many community events as she or her staff were pretty active in the community,” she said. “Once in a while I would sit down to a meeting with her. One example was during the Unite HERE strike which I was attempting to help settle. I have not spoken to Carrie for four or five years.”
Nocella’s internship with Sanchez is listed on her LinkedIn page.
The Investigatoralso posed some of the exact same questions to Aitken, pretty much asking him point blank if he had ever met Nocella while she was performing her duties as an intern for the congresswoman’s political campaign. “I do not recall her working in the Sanchez campaign,” he told us. “We had a lot of good campaign volunteers and I may have met her but have no recollection.”
Not only did Aitken deny that he did anything to help get her installed on the Board of Governors, but he downplayed how much power he exercised as chair of the Board of Trustees: “I did not have any involvement in her appointment to the Board of Governors and until that happened I was not aware she was a Chapman grad. The role of the Trustees is mainly ministerial.”
When queried about the extent of his relationship with Nocella,he said as follows:
My relationship is at best distant since my understanding is as being allegedly involved in the ‘cabal’ she was not supportive of my daughter’s candidacy though I was aware of her title and role with Disney. In light of her relationship with Sidhu and Murray etc and other council members I would assume she was not excited that I was selected to be the chief negotiator with the Angels at the request of Tom Tait. As you know I was removed by Sidhu after his election and he named himself as chief negotiator. How did that go?
But whether or not Nocella backed his daughter’s candidacy apparently wasn’t that important to certain members of Aitken’s clan. For example, Penn, his son-in-law, has been longtime “friends” with Nocella on LinkedIn. Almost four years after Harry Sidhu beat his wife in the mayoral race, he “liked” an article written about the Disney executive she herself shared on that social media website in March 2022.
From Penn’s LinkedIn page.
Given that evidence suggests Penn has closer ties to Nocella than Ashleigh, The Investigator is not surprised he didn’t reply to the question we sent him via email. In our third article about this matter, to be published at a later date, we will explore another angle to this story which reveals, among other things, that his dealings with the Disney executive appear to predate her 2018 appointment to the university’s Board of Governors.
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