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.
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.
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.
Photographs of Ashleigh Aitken (l) and Carrie Nocella (r) from a student yearbook published by Rosary Academy in 1992.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Earlier this year, someone with direct access to Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s personal Facebook account proceeded to systematically purge it of all messages that made reference to the name of a family friend. Though there weren’t many items posted which mentioned it, there were just enough that would have raised quite a few eyebrows, especially among investigative journalists.
It is understandable Mayor Aitken would want to disassociate themselves from this person, at least publicly. The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated in an affidavit released in mid-2022 that they were an employee of an “influential company” and one of the ringleaders of a “cabal” running Anaheim. And the Los Angeles Times would eventually call them out by name: Carrie Nocella.
Up until now, Aitken’s ties to Nocella, who is currently director of External Affairs for the Disneyland Resort, have mostly been the subject of rumors. But a year-long inquiry into this matter by The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence which shows that a relationship has existed between the two. Furthermore, it appears to go back to the early 1990s when both women were still in their teens.
Purged text is highlighted in yellow.
The Investigator has discovered that between 1991 and 1993, Aitken and Nocella attended Rosary Academy, a small, elite Roman Catholic all-girls college-prep school located in Fullerton. Enrollment data from a commercial website reports that Aitken started in 1989, whereas Nocella (whose maiden name is Leonard) began in 1991. Both graduated in 1993 and 1995, respectively.
Information that The Investigator has gleaned from a rare hardcopy of a student yearbook published by the private school in 1992 confirms this. For example, Aitken is identified as a “Junior” in one section; Nocella as a “Freshman” in another. Not only are there pages listing what campus clubs and activities they were involved in, but several photographs, including the two reproduced above.
It is not known at this time if they were classmates. But Rosary Academy’s compact size undoubtedly helped foster a more intimate learning environment, providing greater opportunities for increased social interaction among pupils. Its student population in the early 1990s hovered around 500; enrollment at public schools in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District often exceeded 1,500.
Both women still regularly keep in touch with their alma mater. Besides fundraisers, Aitken has occasionally been asked to speak at school functions. Nocella, however, plays a much more active role: she is listed on their website as being a member of their “Consultative School Board.” Moreover, her daughter is currently a student and is expected to graduate sometime next year.
Aitken speaking at Rosary Academy.
If this was all The Investigator had to report, this story would stop right here. But to paraphrase Winston Churchill, this article is not the beginning of the end; rather, it is the end of the beginning. Indeed, another piece is forthcoming and it will be far more revealing as it will show that the mayor isn’t the only member of her family who has befriended the controversial Disney executive.
The Investigator did make a good faith effort to reach out to Aitken and Nocella via email to ask them questions about their time at Rosary Academy and how their relationship formed. Additionally, Aitken was queried about the reason why messages that contained references to Nocella’s name were purged from her personal Facebook account. Neither women bothered to respond.
However, an individual employed with the Disneyland Resort that saw the email we sent to Nocella did contact us. The person in question, who requested we not identify them in this article, works for their public relations department. After a brief conversation, The Investigator asked what the company’s official statement on this matter would be? “Decline to comment,” they told us.
Ashleigh Aitken speaking at the headquarters of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 in November 2018.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In early January, Ashleigh Aitken, the newly-elected mayor of Anaheim, did what many public officials before her had done. She took full advantage of her unfettered access to the city’s vast pool of free tickets to luxury suites at the Honda Center and Angel Stadium and gave a few of them away to supporters who helped put her in office. Several emails show the mayor rattled off names of those she felt deserved them.
Besides the fact a Form 401 filed with the city clerk’s office reports that Smith was treasurer of an independent expenditure committee which spent $138,155 to help Aitken become mayor in 2022, The Anaheim Investigator has discovered his union has a “secret.” Though not criminal in nature, it’s deeply embarrassing. In fact, some people with intimate knowledge of it are apprehensive to talk about it openly with journalists.
It took The Investigator more than a year to find it, and that was only after painstaking research. However, all the effort put in was well worth it. We have uncovered a story that is not only remarkable, but lends credence to the old adage “politics makes strange bedfellows.” It involves an alliance of people with nothing in common, who were brought together by a shared interest. And it implicates Democrats and Republicans.
Todd Ament, Jeff Flint, and Harry Sidhu.
Reliable sources have told The Investigator that sometime in late 2019 or early 2020, Todd Ament, president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Flint, president of Core Strategic Group, and Mayor Harry Sidhu approached UFCW Local 324 and cut a deal: that in return for a labor peace agreement in any ordinance they introduced to legalize cannabis businesses, the union was to pressure the council to vote “yes.”
Ament, Flint, and Sidhu–sometimes euphemistically referred to as “the cabal”–already had three votes locked up, including Councilman Jordan Brandman’s, who reportedly was one of their point men. But they needed a total of four to get it passed. That’s where UFCW Local 324 came in. They would mobilize members of their union to aggressively lobby any possible holdouts. And indeed, there is evidence this did in fact occur.
Anaheim wasn’t the only city UFCW Local 324 was committed to getting a labor peace agreement. For example, minutes of one Stanton City Council meeting reveal: “Mr. Derek Smith, Political Director, UFCW 324, submitted an e-comment requesting that the City consider the inclusion of ‘Labor Peace’ language that would provide clarity to the cannabis industry and future workers regarding the quality of jobs that are expected from the City.”
For reasons that aren’t clear, Ament, Flint, and Sidhu abandoned the idea of getting a cannabis ordinance passed by council. The November 2020 election led to Avelino Valencia III and Jose Diaz winning seats. Though backed by Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, they weren’t trusted. And Gloria Ma’ae–who opposed the original ordinance–later replaced Brandman. But in late 2021, a new strategy emerged, thanks to UFCW Local 324.
The Silva petition.
On Friday, October 15, 2021, the Anaheim City Clerk received a letter from Stacy Silva declaring that it was her “intention to circulate a petition” to gather signatures to put an initiative on the ballot entitled “The Anaheim Cannabis Regulation and Land Use Measure.” She filed all the required paperwork and paid a $200 filing fee. Silva instructed the city clerk that all correspondence be sent to her lawyer at his Woodland Hills office.
Silva’s lawyer was Bradley Hertz, an election law attorney who had done work for Ament. A Form 410 filed with the city clerk’s office on September 26, 2018 reveals he was treasurer of an independent expenditure committee called “No on L, a Project of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce,” which spent $932,053 in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat a measure which raised the wages of workers of hotels that received tax subsidies.
The text of the initiative Silva submitted was mostly a copy of the cannabis ordinance championed by Ament, Flint, and Sidhu in 2020. However, there were exceptions. First, the number of permitted cannabis retailers allowed to operate in the city was increased from from 20 to 30; one single entity could control up to five of them, instead of three. Second, the requirement workers be full-time to qualify for a labor peace agreement was scrapped.
Herein lies the “smoking gun” of UFCW Local 324’s alliance with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to legalize cannabis businesses. They first tried to pass an ordinance through the council, but failed. Now there was evidence they were collaborating on a ballot initiative. However, there is a catch. Ament had resigned before Silva filed her paperwork with the city clerk. That begs the question: who took his place?
Regardless of what the case might be, Silva withdrew her initiative on October 28th claiming it needed “minor edits.” Then she submitted a new version on November 22nd, which reinstated the requirement workers be full-time to qualify for a labor peace agreement. But after December 7th, everything stopped. When The Investigator asked City Clerk Theresa Bass what happened, she said Silva didn’t continue the filing process.
The Dalati petition.
Three months later, a new face appeared. Belal Dalati, a local real estate agent, walked into the city clerk’s office on Monday, March 21, 2022 with a letter notifying them it was his “intention to circulate a petition” to gather signatures to put a cannabis initiative on the ballot. Most of the paperwork he filed was identical to Silva’s. He used the same title, preamble, and law firm as a contact. But the text of the initiative was different.
Unlike Silva’s initiatives, Dalati’s came from Adam Spiker, of Spiker Rendon Consulting, Inc., a cannabis industry lobbyist located in downtown Los Angeles. The initiative he touted was very “pro-labor.” Not only did it drop the requirement workers be full-time to qualify for a labor peace agreement, but a points system was set up to give preferences to applicants of city licenses who had good employee and community benefits plans.
By May 16th, Dalati changed his mind. At the urging of Bill Taormina and Paul Kott, two local businessman who were opposed to legalizing cannabis businesses, he withdrew his initiative. In a text message Taormina sent to Councilman Trevor O’Neil, he alleged that “Bill Dahlati [sic] was forced into filing the petition by Jeff Flint and other ‘dope dealer’ promoters. He was actually threatened by them not to withdraw the petition ….”
In the days and weeks that followed, the public would learn–thanks to FBI affidavits released in court filings–this scandal wasn’t just about Sidhu and the stadium deal. At the very heart of it was Melahat Rafiei, a political consultant and Democratic Party operative, who is alleged to have committed various crimes in connection with the Anaheim Chamber Of Commerce’s attempt to legalize cannabis businesses.
However, in writing this article, The Investigator made a decision to mostly stay away from Rafiei. Why did we do this? First, her name didn’t pop up in anything having to do this story. Second, the FBI affidavits that have been released so far offer an incomplete and distorted view of what transpired. Third, the testimony offered in those affidavits are solely focused on proving violations of federal criminal laws. It doesn’t talk about what was legal.
Besides Rafiei, it’s erroneous to presume that everybody who worked along with Ament, Flint, and Sidhu to legalize cannabis businesses broke the law. Nothing can be further from the truth. The reality is, an overwhelming majority of people that ended up being dragged into this affair–including pretty much everybody we mentioned in this article–are innocent of any crimes. They are what we would call “victims of circumstance.”
The Investigatorknows despite our good faith efforts to gather accurate information for this article, what we have written isn’t the full story. And it’s possible a few corrections will need to be made as we learn more. But what’s important is we have exposed the biggest “secret” of this scandal: UFCW Local 324‘s alliance with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to legalize cannabis businesses. And it implicates Democrats and Republicans.
The political ramifications of this “secret” are political dynamite. For example, during last year’s election, in order to win the endorsement of the Orange County Register, then-candidate Aitken told the editors “the former mayor and his tightly knit ‘cabal’ were allowed to run roughshod at City Hall, and created a culture of intimidation for staff, management, concerned residents, and the smaller business community.”
What Aitken neglected to mention is UFCW Local 324, a major union of whom she has had close ties to since 2018, was involved in a “pot deal” with the same “former mayor and his tightly knit ‘cabal.'” Though there is no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing, it does vastly complicate things. Maybe she didn’t know about it, but giving $350 worth of city-owned tickets to Smith, their political director, won’t help her in any pleas of innocence.
For matter of record, The Investigator asked for interviews or sent questions outto Belal Dalati, Harry Sidhu, Derek Smith, Stacy Silva, Adam Spiker and others we believed had knowledge about this matter. Most didn’t answer our emails or reply to voice messages. One person declined to speak citing ongoing “local and federal investigations.” Ashleigh Aitken ignored our request for comment on the Anaheim Ducks tickets she gave to Smith.
Robert Fabela, City Attorney for the City of Anaheim, speaking at a meeting of the Anaheim City Council earlier this year.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In a highly unusual chain of emails obtained from the City of Anaheim last year through the public records act, City Attorney Robert Fabela appears to have advised Councilman Avelino Valencia III to “lie” to The Anaheim Investigator about the underlying reasons why he handed out several thousand dollars worth of city-owned Angels baseball tickets to his campaign backers–something of which the city attorney has emphatically denied.
The emails in question, which were also shared with City Clerk Theresa Bass and Chief Communications OfficerMike Lyster, offers a rare glimpse into a system that holds nobody accountable for misusing any of the hundreds of tickets the city gets each year from Angel Stadium and Honda Center, allowing politicians like Valencia to give them away like candy to big donors, personal friends, and union leaders who helped get him elected.
In an attempt to learn more about the “good work” these people did, The Investigator sent Valencia an email on June 17th which listed the names of 22 individuals that public records showed were the recipients of his ticket largess between the months of April and May. “In the interest of full public disclosure, [we’re] requesting information as to the type of ‘volunteer public service’ each of the above persons are engaged in,” we wrote.
It wasn’t until in mid-July The Investigator learned Valencia was concerned about our inquiry into the reasons why he gave out tickets. A chain of emails obtained through the public records act showed that shortly after receiving our June 17th message, the councilman forwarded it to Fabela and Bass, asking them for help. “Please see the below email I received,” he said. “I would appreciate your advise [sic] and direction regarding the request.”
Within a half hour, Fabela issued a reply. The city attorney told Valencia he had “no obligation to respond” to The Investigator because it was “an ask for a verbal response.” Furthermore, he stated “policy” allows the councilman to “provide tickets not only for past service, but also to ‘attract’ service.” And finally, Fabela said if he does choose to respond, that this is “more of a public relations issue,” urging him to contact Lyster “to help him with … strategy.”
Forty minutes later, Bass followed up with an email backing one of Fabela’s points. “For reference, I am attaching a copy of our Ticket Policy — Section 5.0 states the conditions by which tickets may be distributed,” the city clerk told Valencia. “As noted by Rob, the policy allows for ‘attracting or rewarding volunteer public service’ which was noted on your Form 802, meeting the requirements of the policy and FPPC Form 802.”
Fabela’s email to Valencia.
The chain of emails The Investigator discovered–especially the one sent out by Fabela–offers us a behind-the-scenes look into why the ticket system has been constantly plagued with cronyism and corruption. Though part of problem lies with bad policies that have allowed council members to hijack it for political purposes, evidence we have unearthed seems to hint an overly compliant city bureaucracy might also be enabling this unethical behavior.
That Valencia sought advice from Fabela on how to respond to The Investigator’s email is in itself amusing. After all, the councilman had already gone on record at the June 8th meeting as saying he just gave tickets to “public members who were doing good work for the community.” Since all we requested was that he provide us with information as to the type of “good work” they did, why was there a need to consult the city attorney?
But it is what Fabela instructed him to do that is of great significance. Besides the fact he told Valencia that he could ignore The Investigator–and thus stonewall our inquiry–it appears he advised him to “lie” about the reason why he handed out those tickets, reminding the councilman that “policy” also allows him to “provide tickets … to ‘attract’ service”–a flimsy pretext which doesn’t require recipients to do any “volunteer public service.”
To better understand the context of Fabela’s advice, it was given after the councilmanhad already handed out tickets to 22 individuals–most of them campaign backers–between the months of April and May. And by reminding Valencia that “policy” also allows him to “provide tickets … to ‘attract’ service,” the city attorney hinted a different pretext could be used to justify what he did, thus “lie” about his reasons for distributing them.
What is most revealing about Fabela’s email is he never advised Valencia to truthfully answer The Investigator’s questions. Given that taxpayers own these tickets, one would think the city attorney would zealously guard their interests. Not so. Everything he wrote, whether intentional or not, encouraged the councilman to be deceptive. Even his suggestion Lyster be contacted to formulate a response hinted it be a spun narrative.
The emailthat Bass sent out, however, was more straightforward. The city clerk was correct when she told Valencia “policy allows for ‘attracting or rewarding volunteer public service’ which was noted on your Form 802, meeting the requirements of the policy and FPPC Form 802.” There is nothing on ticket disclosure forms which require council members to explain why they gave them away. But they do have to identify a “public purpose.”
A Form 802 that Valencia filed in April 2021.
It is not a strange coincidence that on every Form 802Valencia filed for each big donor, personal friend, and union leader that he gave city-owned Angels baseball tickets to, he listed “attracting or rewarding volunteer public service” as the “public purpose.” That’s because this “public purpose,” as it is currently written, contains a major loophole which enables council members to hand out tickets to anybody on a flimsy pretext.
This loophole was first noticed by Gabriel San Roman, a former investigative journalist for the defunct-OC Weekly. While reviewing more than 1,539 ticket disclosure forms in 2019, he discovered a common pattern among council members who were abusing the system for their own selfish motives: they noted on each Form 802 they filed that they gave away tickets for the “public purpose” of “attracting or rewarding volunteer public service.”
Upon further scrutiny, San Roman learned this “public purpose” allowed council members to disburse tickets for two entirely different reasons: they can give them to “reward” people for “volunteer public service” they have done; or give them to “attract” people to do “volunteer public service” in the future. Since council members aren’t obligated to explain why they gave them away, nobody ever knows which of these two they chose.
The ambiguous nature of this “public purpose” has created a loophole which council members have been all too eager to exploit: if tickets can be given away to “attract” people to do “volunteer public service” in the future, then the recipient doesn’t have to do anything to earn them. Over the years, this flimsy pretext has paved the way for doling them out to practically anybody–big donors, lobbyists, political operatives–you name it.
OC Weekly cover story on August 9, 2019.
For matter of record, The Investigator did reach out to Fabela seeking his comment for this article. We asked the city attorney point blank if in the advice he gave to Valencia that he was “encouraging him to be deceptive—if not ‘lie’ to us—should he have chosen to respond” to our inquiry requesting he provide “additional information about his reasons for handing out tickets to 22 people during the months of April and May 2021”
“The answer to your question is ‘no’ as your inquiry is based on a misreading of both the email and the City ticket policy,” said Fabela. “The question to the Council member incorrectly assumed that past public service is the only criteria allowed under the City’s ticket policy, and my email to the Council member corrects that and reflects what City policy actually states. I do not see how that could be interpreted as encouraging anyone to ‘lie.'”
Regardless of what the city attorney’s intent was, it’s quite evident that Valencia felt empowered by what he said to continue distributing tickets to campaign backers without fear of any repercussions. Though the councilman has been handing more of them out to local residents and non-profit groups, he still doles tickets to cronies who not only have helped get him elected to public office in the past, but will probably do so in the future.
Below is the chain of emails set into motion by The Investigator’s inquiry into the recipients of Councilman Avelino Valencia’s tickets on June 17, 2021.
Councilman Avelino Valencia III gave city-owned Angels tickets to the wife of the president of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
A careful review of all the Form 802s that Councilman Avelino Valencia III filed in April and May reveals he gave 28 city-owned Angels baseball tickets worth $5,740 to 13 campaign backers who spent $38,938 to help him get elected to his seat. That number reflects 60% of all the tickets the councilman has handed out during those months especially if one takes into consideration the fact a Long Beach supporter got tickets twice.
For example, a Form 802 the councilman filed last month states he gave Serina Serrano two tickets valued at $410 for an Angels vs. Dodgers game on May 8th. Besides the fact Serina works for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, her husband is Gerry Serrano, president of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association. Public records show Gerry and his union made $2,850 in campaign contributions to Valencia in 2020.
Many recipients of free tickets earn six-figure incomes.
In the article The Anaheim Investigator published on June 1st, we reported about the Form 802sValencia filed in April, pointing out that of the ten people he gave tickets to that month, eight were close friends and campaign backers of his. Five had close ties to unions that each made a $2,100 contribution to his city council campaign last year. Two were top Democratic Party operatives. And most don’t live in Anaheim.
The councilman’s filings for May show a similar pattern of behavior. Out of the 13 people he gave tickets to, ten were also friends and backers. Nine of them–or 70% of all the persons who received tickets that month–either contributed money directly to his city council campaign, or have close ties to unions that did. One is linked to a committee that spent $24,288.20 on his election. And again, most aren’t residents of this city.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the Santa Ana Police Officers Association Independent Expenditure Committee (ID# 1255606)made a $2,100 contribution on August 21, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the District Council of Iron Workers Political Action League (ID# 831693) made a $1,000 contribution on June 22, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the Laborers International Union of North America Local 1309 PAC (ID# 851621) made a $2,100 contribution on June 30, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers Political Education and Legislative Fund (ID# 850568) made a $500 contribution on June 26, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the National Union of Healthcare Workers Candidate Committee (ID# 1318200)made a $1,000 contribution on September 29, 2021.
Between April and May, Valencia gave 28 city-owned Angels baseball tickets worth $5,740 to 13 campaign backers who spent $38,938 on his election–a whopping 60% of all tickets he handed out during those months. We determined this by gathering names from all the Form 802s that he filed, running them through various databases to identify who they were, and cross-referencing them with available campaign finance data.
On June 17th, The Investigator sent out an email to Valencia with a list of names of the 22 people who received tickets from him requesting more information about the type of “volunteer public service” each of them engaged in. “The rationale you gave in all of these cases is that tickets were given ostensibly for the purpose of ‘attracting or rewarding volunteer public service,'” we wrote. But he never responded to our inquiry.
For matter of record, Valencia isn’t the only council member who has hijacked the city’s ticket system for selfish political purposes. His abuses are roughly comparable to those of Councilman Jordan Brandman, whose Form 802 filings this year are also highly questionable. Though Brandman has handed out less tickets than Valencia, both have given them to some of the same people–a matter we’ll report about in the future.
Councilman Avelino Valencia III gave $3,280 worth of city-owned Angels tickets to close friends, campaign backers, and top Democrats in April.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Before Councilman Avelino Valencia III was elected to his seat, he told a reporter from Anaheim Exclusivo what his main priority would be. “I would like the residents of Anaheim to know that I am dedicating the next four years of my life to improving the quality of life for our residents,” he said. “I will be selfless in those endeavors; I will put the residents’ needs first.”
But there is an old adage about politicians: watch what they do, not what they say. And evidence is mounting that there is a big difference between Valencia’s behavior as a councilman and his rhetoric as a candidate. Thanks to Gabriel San Roman, a former investigative journalist for the defunct-OC Weekly, we know as a fact that this happens to be the case.
In an article San Roman recently posted on his Slingshot blog, he observed that with the reopening of Angel Stadium and Honda Center due to relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, a once “dormant political patronage system” has sprung back to life “with Anaheim city council members able to dole out free tickets to their well-connected friends and political backers again.”
In reviewing the latest filings for April, he discovered not much had changed. For example, Councilman Jordan Brandman, who is a notorious peddler of city-owned tickets to lobbyists, campaign contributors, and even his former employer, gave two Angels tickets worth $410 to a businessman who appears to have been one of his clients at a previous job.
Even Valencia has gotten tickets.
The most astonishing revelations, however, came from Valencia’s filings. Being a newcomer, one thinks he would have been a bit more circumspect in his actions. But San Roman reported that his Form 802s showed the councilman freely gave away tickets to close friends, trade union leaders who helped finance his campaign, and known Democratic Party operatives.
In response, The Anaheim Investigator launched its own investigation into this matter and carefully scrutinized all of the Form 802s Valencia filed in the month of April. The documents not only corroborate the initial claims San Roman made in his piece, but new information has been uncovered which reveals that what he reported was just the tip of the iceberg.
The Form 802s show Valencia gave tickets to ten people, eight of which could be positively identified. Of those eight, all are “well-connected friends and political backers” of the councilman. Five have close ties to unions that each made a $2,100 contribution to his city council campaign last year. Two are top Democratic Party operatives. And most don’t live in Anaheim.
Below is a list of persons of who benefited from his largess: ERNESTO MEDRANO
Form 460sfiled by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the Laborers International Union of North America Laborers Local 652 (ID# 72-151970)made a $2,100 contribution on June 29, 2020.
Form 460sfiled by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the Santa Ana Police Officers Association Independent Expenditure Committee (ID# 1255606)made a $2,100 contribution on August 21, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union No. 582 PAC (ID# 890440)made a $2,100 contribution on July 31, 2020.
Form 460s filed by the “Valencia for City Council 2020” committee report that the Laborers International Union of North America Local 1309 PAC (ID# 851621)made a $2,100 contribution on June 30, 2020.
On all of the Form 802s that Valenica filed, he stated he gave away tickets for the purpose of “attracting or rewarding volunteer public service.” Maybe so. Perhaps he wanted to encourage charity work in Irvine, Santa Ana, and Long Beach. And it could be a coincidence half of the recipients of his tickets apparently helped steer large amounts of cash into his city council campaign.
But the evidence speaks for itself. The Form 802s make a mockery of Valencia‘s promise to “put the residents’ needs first.” That he decided to shower close friends, trade union leaders who helped finance his campaign, and top Democratic Party operatives–most of whom don’t live in Anaheim–with $3,280 worth of tickets demonstrate that his priorities lie elsewhere.
Indeed, The Investigator believes he is only using his seat on the Anaheim City Council as a stepping stone to get elected to the state legislature in the 69th State Assembly District. After all, Tom Daly, his boss, is termed out in 2024. But to do that, he’ll need to build a base of support not only in Anaheim, but in Santa Ana. That’s where giving away free tickets comes in handy.
For matter of record, Valencia isn’t the only politician in this town who has taken advantage of the ticket system and exploited it for selfish political purposes. Sometime in the future, The Investigatorplans to publish more in-depth articles like this one exposing how past and present council members, both Democrat and Republican alike, have done similar things.
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