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.
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.
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.
Gerry Serrano (left), President of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, with Serina (right), his wife, at an event in Newport Beach in 2017.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In 2019, when Gabriel San Roman, a former investigative journalist for the defunct-OC Weekly, reviewed more than 1,539 ticket disclosure forms—Form 802sas they are called—to see who received the thousands of dollars worth of tickets the city got each year from Angel Stadium and Honda Center, he noticed an unusual practice: some council members were trying to avoid publicly disclosing the identity of persons they were really giving tickets to by reporting that they gave them to their spouse instead.
For example, San Roman discovered that then-Councilman Jordan Brandmanhad given city-owned tickets valued at $900 to Carrie Nocella, a lobbyist for The Walt Disney Company. But on the Form 802 that was filed, he stated those tickets were meant for Tom Nocella, her husband. Brandman had a ready-made excuse. “Tom is a longtime Anaheim resident,” he said. “Like all other council members, I regularly recognize numerous residents, community groups and city employees by behesting them tickets …”
But documents The Investigator obtained under the California Public Records Act show Valencia may have tried to go further than this. An earlier Form 802 the councilman submitted offers prima facie evidence suggesting he made an attempt to hide Serina’s identity from public disclosure by using Serina Porras, her maiden name, instead of Serina Serrano, her married (and legal) one. If this form had been officially filed with the city under her maiden name, it would have been much harder to link her to Gerry.
Screenshot of the withdrawn Form 802 with Serina’s maiden name.
In a followup message, Torres told Serina that he got this information directly from the councilman. “I was unaware that we had your old name filed,” he typed. But in a stunning admission, he acknowledged to Serina he knew what her legal name was: “Frankly, I used Serina Serrano for this email thread because that was your apparent name based on your email address.” Indeed, The Investigator has an unredacted copy of her personal email address and can confirm he was using it to communicate with her.
Though Torres would later claim Valencia was “unaware of the name change,” all of this begs the question of how he knew Serina’s maiden name was Porras? Furthermore, the councilman himself most likely provided his city council assistant with her personal email address. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume since that email has Serrano as her last name, that’s how she identifies herself? Perhaps it should be noted she uses it as a last name on all of her identifiable social media accounts as well.
Under California state law, there are criminal statutes—specifically Penal Code 115—which make it a crime to file a false Form 802 with a government agency. For example, if a person knowingly files a document that contains inaccurate information, they could face a felony charge. However, a document has to have been officially filed with an agency before a prosecution can take place. That didn’t happen in this situation. The Form 802 in question was withdrawn and quickly replaced with a corrected version.
Regardless of what Valencia was trying to do, he definitely had a motive to conceal his ties to Gerry Serrano. Not only has the latter been a controversial and divisive figure in Santa Ana politics, but he has been subject of multiple investigations into alleged misconduct by local, state, and federal authorities–including reportedly being the target of a grand jury probe. The councilman’s squeaky-clean image would undoubtedly be tarnished if he was caught handing out tickets to such a troubled individual.
For matter of record, The Investigator emailed Valencia approximately three times requesting comment for this article. We wanted to know the reason why he felt motivated to use Serina’s maiden name on the original Form 802 he submitted, then later withdrew due to her questioning why it was being used. We were hoping that his reply would put our concerns about this matter to rest. But so far, the dapper councilman from District 4 hasn’t bothered responding to any of the messages we sent him.
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.
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