Councilwoman Norma Campos-Kurtz (in yellow) accepting a joint award on behalf of the city for its partnership with the Disneyland Resort in June 2025.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Anaheim officials participated in a June 11, 2025 gala sponsored by the Association of California Cities–Orange County, where the City of Anaheim and Disneyland Resort were jointly honored with the group’s most prestigious award for their collaborative work on DisneylandForward, a multi‑billion‑dollar expansion of the theme park. Councilmembers and city staff didn’t just witness the presentation—they actively took part in it. Yet six days later, at the June 17th council meeting, no mention of it appeared in official proceedings.
The omission becomes more striking given the treatment of another award the city received at the same ACC‑OC gala: a staff honor presented to Sandra Lozeau, Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development, for her leadership role in tackling homelessness. Her recognition received prominent agenda placement, a detailed staff report, and enthusiastic public remarks during the June 17th meeting. By elevating Lozeau’s award while burying one tied to DisneylandForward, city leadership has raised questions about why information about the latter was withheld from residents.
Screenshot of video from the June 17, 2025 council meeting.
The accolade Anaheim kept off the agenda was the Legacy Award—ACC‑OC’s highest‑tier honor–typically reserved for projects this organization characterizes as structurally transformative and politically significant. Far from a routine commendation, this award spotlights initiatives that reshape how cities negotiate development, manage land‑use authority, and influence regional governance. Within their awards hierarchy, it stands as the strongest endorsement of work they believe will have a lasting imprint on public policy, economic growth, or community planning in Orange County.
Photographs confirm that four current councilmembers—Norma Campos‑Kurtz, Ryan Bailus, Carlos Leon, and Kristen Maahs—were present, along with Vanderpool. With the exception of Leon, all referenced the ceremony in their public calendars, though in notably vague and ambiguous terms. Vanderpool, usually meticulous about documenting attendees at events he was at, merely listed “City Staff” and “ACC OC members.” Maahs offered more details, but none disclosed which representative from the entertainment giant stepped up and accepted the award shared with Anaheim.
Carrie Nocella (in red) accepting the joint award with her team.
Campos-Kurtz and Nocella display award plaques.
The Investigator contacted Chief Communications Officer Mike Lyster and each of the four councilmembers who attended the ACC‑OC Leadership Summit on June 11, 2025 to find out the reason the Legacy Award—recognizing Anaheim’s partnership with the Disneyland Resort on DisneylandForward—was omitted from the June 17th council agenda. Our inquiry focused on why Lozeau’s honor received a full presentation and public acknowledgment at the meeting, while the Legacy Award was not mentioned at all, despite its relevance to one of the city’s most significant development efforts.
“We are proud of our city’s work on DisneylandForward, knowing it will bring years of added funding for public safety, libraries, community centers and other services directly benefiting our community,” Lyster told us via email. He added that “while appreciated, not every recognition we receive is mentioned at Council.” In contrast, he said “recognizing Sandra Lozeau was another matter entirely. We welcomed the opportunity to highlight a longtime employee for her incredible work on affordable housing, addressing homelessness and so many other important issues for Anaheim.”
From the ACC-OC 2025 Annual Report.
Only two councilmembers responded to our questions. Maahs said, “I generally keep my council comments focused on District 5 and events taking place there,” adding “there wasn’t any specific reason I didn’t mention the award.” Leon, for his part, expressed thanks “for all of the work Sandy has done” and stated the recognition she received at the gala was well‑deserved, though he couldn’t stay until the end. He noted his main focus on June 17th was addressing “the fear and uncertainty” caused by recent immigration raids and informing residents about the newly launched Anaheim Contigo initiative.
Ex-City Manager James Vanderpool and his husband (center) dining with councilmembers at the Nixon Library on June 24, 2026.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Investigator has obtained photographs showing ex‑Anaheim city manager James Vanderpool dining with councilmembers at an awards gala held on June 24, 2026 at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. Vanderpool attended the event with his husband, Hernan Cortez, solely because he had been nominated for City Manager of the Year—a distinction that he ultimately did not receive, despite his long public tenure and the considerable political power he once wielded.
But his appearance at this private gathering comes as he still remains a deeply controversial figure in Anaheim, shadowed by scrutiny over his role in influence‑peddling scandals and the turmoil that followed. The gala’s exclusive nature raises questions about whether the same networks that shaped city policy in the shadows continue to operate with confidence, familiarity, and ease even as residents demand genuine accountability rather than recycled political theater that offers little meaningful reform.
The gala, formally titled the Annual Leadership Summit and Golden Hub of Innovation Awards, was hosted by the Association of California Cities–Orange County, a taxpayer‑subsidized nonprofit long criticized for operating as a parallel decision‑making arena. ACC‑OC’s events routinely bring together elected officials, city staffers, lobbyists, consultants, and business figures in settings shielded from public view, reinforcing concerns policy is often influenced socially rather than through democratic processes.
Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava with Kris Murray at the June 24th gala.
Vanderpool and Murray (circled in red) being sworn in by Curt Pringle in April 2018.
The gala’s keynote speaker was Molly Jolly, President of Angels Baseball, a choice that reflects ACC-OC’s recent practice of placing business figures with vested interests in Anaheim policy at the center of high-profile events. Also nominated for an award—but not chosen—was Dukku Lee, retired Anaheim Public Utilities general manager. Interim city manager Greg Garcianoted in his calendar five councilmembers attended: Ryan Bailus, Norma Campos‑Kurtz, Kristen Maahs, Natalie Meeks, and Natalie Rubalcava.
Brochure page showing sponsors of the June 24th gala.
Brochure page showing nominees for City Manager of the Year.
Remarkably, most media reports discussing this email have completely overlooked the fact that one of the invited consultants was Murray, who then was on the Anaheim Chamber payroll working on Anaheim First—something The Investigator first discovered in 2019. Her attendance at the retreat should be no surprise given she and Vanderpool already shared deep longstanding ties through their active involvement in the ACC-OC, dating back years before they even served together on its board.
Laura’s email also listed another attendee central to Anaheim’s power structure at that time. Besides the fact her husband, Matt Cunningham, a political consultant, would be present, Todd Ament, then president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber, and his wife, also were going to be there. The inclusion of Ament placed Vanderpool squarely within a circle of individuals later linked to FBI corruption probes and influence‑peddling allegations detailed in the city-commissioned JL Group report.
Murray’s name (highlighted in yellow) in the leaked email.
The report, released in July 2023, was not kind to Vanderpool. Its findings characterized him as a major participant in Anaheim’s informal influence networks, describing back‑channel communications, undisclosed relationships with lobbyists, and a pattern of coordinating with consultants outside public view. Investigators concluded the city manager repeatedly blurred professional boundaries, maintained selective alliances, and engaged in behavior that undermined transparency and public trust.
The Investigator later uncovered evidence which independently corroborated several claims the JL Group made about Vanderpool’s behind‑the‑scenes conduct. Months after the report came out, photos surfaced from early 2023 showing the city manager at a Ducks Chamber Night event—a private gathering at the Honda Center—comfortably mingling with Ducks lobbyist George Urch, OC Vibe executive Morrel Morean, and the Cunninghams, offering a rare glimpse into the networks that he navigated.
In one photo, Vanderpool and his husband have their arms wrapped around Laura Cunningham, who was now president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber. The image is astonishing given her past role as a spokeswoman for the “Yes on Proposition 8” campaign in 2008, the ballot measure which tried to outlaw same-sex marriage in California. At the time, she worked for Jeff Flint, then a partner at the Sacramento‑based consulting firm Schubert Flint Public Affairs, which ran the statewide effort.
Morrel Morean and Laura Cunningham in 2023.
George Urch and Vanderpool with Matt Cunningham (center) in 2023.
Vanderpool and his husband with Laura (center) in 2023.
Their relationship was further reflected in a 2022 Facebook message where Vanderpool shared photos of him and his husband at a beach. Both Flint and Laura–along with Kris Murray–posted positive comments about the couple, reinforcing the impression of tight personal bonds. Before Flint, who is mentioned prominently in the JL Group report, became a consultant, he had served as Pringle’s deputy chief of staff while he was in the state assembly; Matt Cunninghambriefly worked as his press secretary.
Taken together, these findings illustrate networks that have existed for decades, linking lobbyists, consultants, former elected officials, and senior city staff through personal relationships and private social events. Vanderpool’s presence within these circles—even after being exposed by the JL Group—suggests that Anaheim’s political culture is being shaped by longstanding alliances rather than public accountability. These ties did not fade away but persist to this day with remarkable continuity.
Jeff Flint and Todd Ament with Murray (center) in December 2018.
Ament, Flint and Vanderpool may have been pushed off Anaheim’s political stage, but the influence networks they cultivated continue operating with striking resilience. The Cunninghams still move quietly through the same circles, appearing at private gatherings—including last month’s gala–despite no longer being part of the Anaheim Chamber. Around them, new lobbyists and consultants have emerged, molded by the same processes, ensuring these networks will endure regardless of who comes and goes.
ACC‑OC, now led by Murray, appears to have become the latest hub where these reconstituted networks gather. The group’s events routinely bring together elected officials, city staffers, lobbyists, consultants, and business figures–some of whom previously operated through the Anaheim Chamber. Photos and records show that these individuals continue to interact socially and politically, maintaining influence through informal access points that mirror the same dynamics documented in the JL Group report.
Despite Anaheim’s attempts at “reform,” the underlying power structure remains largely unchanged. The same constellation of actors continues to exert undue influence on the city, simply relocating their activity to venues less associated with past scandals. These networks have survived by adapting, not retreating, preserving relationships that allow them to shape policy discussions far away from public view. While the geography of influence has shifted, the architecture of power still remains firmly in place.
Urch and Murray with Pringle (center) in April 2012.
Vanderpool with Matt Hicks, now a lobbyist for OC Vibe, in July 2016.
The Investigator reached out to Mike Lyster, the city’s chief communications officer, and the five councilmembers who attended, seeking answers about the June 24th gala: who nominated Vanderpool for the City Manager of the Year award; who paid for his and his husband’s tickets; who covered councilmembers’ and spouses’ tickets; whether the city paid for them and, if so, how much did they each cost; and how much membership dues does the city pay to the ACC‑OC on an annual basis.
Because Lyster was on vacation, Esther Kwon Baek, his deputy communications officer, responded by saying the “city paid for our councilmembers to attend, in addition to two spouses. The city did not pay for Jim Vanderpool or his spouse.” Councilwoman Campos-Kurtz acknowledged she was there, adding that “Mayor Aiken did rsvp for herself and a guest so tickets were also made available for her.” Councilman Ryan Bailus said the tickets cost $150 each and that he nominated Dukku Lee for an award.
James Vanderpool, City Manager of Anaheim, and Fiona Ma, State Treasurer of California, at a restaurant bar in March 2017.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Investigator has obtained internal emails, letters, reports, and financial forms showing that State Treasurer Fiona Ma—who is currently running for Lt. Governor–quietly aided Swyft Cities, a crowdfunded high-tech startup based in northern California, encouraging it to seek state financing for its projects, especially a loan guarantee from a public bank she oversees.
The aforementioned documents, all gathered through public records act requests filed with multiple local and state agencies, also reveal a key investor in this firm has known Ma since 2012, and that she is “actively engaging in her network [of contacts] on the company’s behalf,” which, according to one unusual email, includes James Vanderpool, the city manager of Anaheim.
Moreover, they also indicate that Ma’s involvement might have strayed into territory where her public authority and private relationships intersected in ways which raise clear conflict‑of‑interest concerns. That overlap becomes even more apparent as they trace how her actions factored into Swyft Cities rush to secure public‑sector contracts before the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Concept image of aerial gondolas next to a future OCVibe parking garage.
But what was not disclosed is that we had secretly launched a major investigation into a highly unusual email we discovered buried among dozens of communications which strongly hinted that an elected statewide officeholder may have been inappropriately exercising their power to influence government decisions solely on behalf of a private company.
That email, sent by Jeral Poskey, founder and CEO of the firm, was directed to Rudy Emami, the city’s public works director, on January 17, 2025. In it, he said “that California State Treasurer Fiona Ma was at our office this morning, and a few minutes ago she copied me on a message to JimVanderpool. She is highly supportive. Rudy, I expect you might get some questions from Jim.”
Though the law does not prohibit an elected statewide officeholder like Ma from expressing support for a local project, the boundary between ordinary advocacy and improper influence becomes indistinct when that support is conveyed privately to city staff in ways that could shape government decisions outside established public channels and undermine public trust.
Jeral Poskey’s email mentioning Ma and Vanderpool on January 17, 2025.
The meeting was arranged by Nick Garzilli, another key investor. Though it’s not clear if he was present, there may be a reason why he was chosen to set it up: he is an acquaintance of Ma.“I’ve known Fiona since 2012,” Garzilli boasted to an Irish film producer, “and recently she has been helping us meet the right people to build Swyft Cities. We are making some great progress.”
The Investigator filed public records act requests with the Anaheim city clerk and the state treasurer’s office asking for a copy of the email between Ma and Vanderpool that was sent to Poskey. But both agencies claimed that after “conducting a thorough and diligent search,” they couldn’t find it, asserting instead that there were simply no responsive records.
The reason? To discuss building an aerial gondola system that would travel from USC to Exposition Park and completing it before the opening ceremonies of the 2028 Summer Olympics. “My dream would be to get it on campus, the surrounding community, and all the way around the Coliseum, Lucas Museum, Natural History, CA Science Center…,” Garzilli said.
Perhaps in lieu of Krekorian’s absence, Garzilli contacted Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris‑Dawson and invited him to come to the meeting instead. Besides serving a district that borders USC and Exposition Park, the councilman is president of the city council and chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games.
It is not known if Councilman Harris-Dawson attended this function. The Investigator filed a public records act request with his office last month and is still waiting for a reply. A request is also pending with the Office of Exposition Park Management, an agency run by the state. The Office of Major Events responded by releasing a copy of the email they received from Garzilli.
Nick Garzilli’s email to then USC President Carol Folt on January 23, 2025.
It is the latter that Devon Mathis has expertise in. According to his LinkedIn biography, he is Director of Government and Public Relations for Origyn International, an energy company which provides and maintains public infrastructure for cities at absolutely no upfront cost. In return, they pay for it slowly through a long‑term service agreement rather than carrying debt.
“I want to introduce you to Devon Mathis of Origyn,” Poskey wrote in a March 31, 2025 email to Sean Crumby, then the city’s director of public works. He described Mathis as a former California state representative “recommended by Treasurer Fiona Ma” and said he wanted to meet “to show how they can finance the construction and operation of a [gondola] system like Whoosh …”
As noted earlier, Swyft Cities listed IBank as another potential source of funding. But it is not a private bank. It is a public one that issues bonds and provides low‑cost loans for infrastructure, climate, and economic development projects. It helps fund everything from water systems and public facilities to clean‑energy and community development initiatives.
The IBank is housed in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO‑Biz). Four of the five board members are gubernatorial appointees—the GO‑Biz director, the director of finance, and two public members—and Ma serves on the board ex officio as an elected official with the power to help approve or deny loans for projects that come before it.
Emails that The Investigator obtained from IBank under the public records act show Swyft Citieswas in direct communication with their staff to learn more about what financing options were available to them. “Fiona Ma directed us to look through the IBank, CalCAP, and SBA programs,” Steve Raney, a Systems Planner, told a senior loan officer in a message dated April 23, 2025.
“Swyft Cities is interested in a loan guarantee … We need to very, very quickly develop project financing options for the first phase of a two-phase smart gondola infrastructure project,” he said. “The customer is the City of Irvine Great Park (IGP), a nonprofit organization with a $1 billion redevelopment budget, funded by a Mello-Roos tax on adjacent homes.”
The Irvine Great Park Board had just voted 5–1 the previous day to enter negotiations with Swyft Cities on a proposed aerial gondola system, but the approval came with some conditions. The firm had to prove it could deliver a $10 million pilot project with no public funds and demonstrate it had the financing and operational capacity to make the system fully viable.
Raney informed the loan officer he believed “that the Climate Tech Finance loan guarantee program is the most effective,” for his firm,”but it may be flawed.” IBank staff responded by putting him in touch with the Bay Area Air District (BAAD), a public agency which does much more than just regulate stationary sources of air pollution across the San Francisco Bay Area.
Steve Raney’s email to an IBank loan officer on April 23, 2025.
BAAD plays a little known, but specialized, operational role with the IBank through a joint program called Climate Tech Finance. Established in 2018 to accelerate the development of new and innovative technologies that reduce greenhouse gases, a team at this agency essentially prepares, vets, and funnels eligible applicants directly into their financing pipeline.
Once an applicant qualifies, the IBank then provides a government‑backed loan guarantee that reduces lender risk and unlocks financing for early‑stage climate‑tech firms. By promising to cover most losses if a borrower defaults on their payments, the state makes private financial institutions willing to fund companies that they would otherwise reject as too risky.
Emails released to The Investigator by BAAD show that Swyft Cities sought a quote for a $2 million loan guarantee in December 2024 but didn’t follow through with the required paperwork to start the application process. However, they started again shortly after the Irvine Great Park Board voted in favor of entering into negotiations with them to build one of their systems.
However, Swyft Cities didn’t get the cash. Monthly activity reports written by a private consultant retained by BAAD show their request proceeded very slowly. Though the firm had chosen Gondola Ventures, a “hybrid venture and private equity firm” based in Washington, as their preferred lender, the agency spent months trying to arrange a meeting to determine eligibility.
“We are [still] attempting to set up a meeting to evaluate the lender (Gondola Ventures) which has expressed strong interest in them,” the consultant wrote in an August 2025 activity report. “We are reviewing the possibility of certifying them as a nonbank lender for the Swyft Cities project.” Then he cryptically added: “The IBank leadership knows Gondola Ventures.“
Ma listed as a board member of IBank on a meeting agenda.
The city had now decided that aerial gondolas wouldn’t be needed until “Phase 3” of the plan, which is slated to go into effect in 2036–almost a decade away. That shift stripped away any sense of urgency for Swyft Cities to deliver a pilot project by December 2026; it also meant the firm could no longer justify seeking a government-backed loan guarantee from IBank.
Miranda Iglesias, a spokeswoman for BAAD, told The Investigator via email last Friday that though the firm had “shown interest in the Climate Tech Finance Program … they have not submitted an application.” She further added that “staff were unable to connect with Gondola Ventures and they are no longer an active priority to certify as a non-bank lender …”
And despite the fact the City of Anaheim partnered with Swyft Cities to explore the possibility of using aerial gondolas to connect entertainment venues, no commitment has been made. A source at city hall, who knew nothing about this investigation, expressed skepticism saying it’s a high‑exposure undertaking since the firm had never delivered an operational system.
Perhaps an unintended consequence of the Great Park’s decision to delay Swyft Cities system is that Ma will no longer be in a position to vote on any other government-backed loan guarantees they might seek. Besides the fact she is running for Lt. Governor, her term is up at the end of this year, which means she won’t be serving on the IBank board for that much longer.
From a September 9, 2025 update released by the City of Irvine.
The Investigator made a good faith effort to reach out to Ma not only to seek her comments about the January 17th email, but her relationships with Vanderpool and Swyft Cities. But neither she, nor anybody at the state treasurer’s press office, who we copied our messages to, responded to any of our inquiries. Similar questions sent out to Vanderpool and Poskey went unanswered.
Regardless, the records show a pattern in which Ma’s personal network intersected with Swyft Cities’ efforts to secure government backing of their projects. These interactions were not disclosed publicly. Instead, they occurred very quietly, behind closed doors, raising concerns about whether the state treasurer inappropriately exercised her power on behalf of a private company.
The absence of the email Ma allegedly sent to Vanderpool is troubling. Its disappearance contradicts a message from the person it was copied to, suggesting either a failure to preserve official correspondence or a deliberate omission. Either scenario raises red flags about record keeping practices and whether politically sensitive information is being shielded from disclosure.
It should be emphasized The Investigator has evidence the state treasurer violated the law. In public records act requests we submitted, we asked for all communications exchanged between Ma and Vanderpool. Her office withheld numerous text messages from us–which is illegal. We ultimately secured many of them, but only through separate requests made to the City of Anaheim.
By steering attention toward IBank as a potential source of financing, Swyft Cities inadvertently cast a sharper light on Ma’s actions. As a board member, her discreet engagement with the firm invites questions about whose interests were being served. Public financing institutions require distance, yet her interactions hint at a level of closeness that challenges that expectation.
The Investigator will continue looking into this matter since questions it raises go far beyond any single company. Californians rely on elected statewide officeholders to uphold ethical standards that ensure decisions are made in the public interest. Whether Ma met that obligation remains unresolved, but the evidence uncovered so far warrants sustained scrutiny and public vigilance.
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.
Berenice Ballinas, Kristen Maahs-Kolberg, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, and Pepe Avila at Angel Stadium on June 7, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
More than 200 photographs currently in the possession of The Anaheim Investigatorshow that although the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Angel Stadium on June 7th attracted far less council members than it did back in 2023, there were more candidates. Furthermore, a number of new faces were present this year, including Paul Kott, a local realtor, and Josh Newman, a state senator that represents the 29th district.
Several others show Aitken mingling with Ross McCune, owner and president of Calsteal Builders Inc., and William O’Connell III, director of operations for Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim. In another photo, the mayor is seated at table in between Jerry Jordan, the new president/CEO of the Anaheim Chamber, and Alicia Valadez-Gonzalez, chairwoman of their board of directors. She is also a community relations manager for Northgate Markets.
Aitken and O’Connell III.
Councilman Stephen Faessal can be seen eating lunch with Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels Baseball, and State Senator Newman, who kept fidgeting with his smartphone. Seated right next to him was James Vanderpool, the city manager. Other persons in attendance included the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas, Mayor Pro-Tem Norma Campos-Kurtz, Fire Chief Pat Russell, and Third District Supervisor Don Wagner.
Ryan Bailus, a candidate running for city council in district 1, also made his presence known. Unlike Maahs-Kolberg and Campos-Kurtz, both of whom will be facing voters for the very first time in November, this is his second try. In 2020, Bailus ran a spirited campaign against Councilwoman Denise Barnes, an incumbent, and Jose Diaz, coming in third with 19.8% of the vote. This year his only opponent is Ojaala Ahmed.
Bailus and Wagner.
The luncheon, an annual event that is organized by the Anaheim Chamber, typically brings in a youth sports league from the local community to meet and interact with persons who played for Angels Baseball, both past and present. However, the only featured guests this time around were Perry Minasian, the team’s general manager, and Trent Rush, a reporter and host forAM 830 KLAA, a radio station owned by the club.
Matt Cunningham, James Vanderpool, Molly Jolly, and Laura Cunningham having lunch with Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Investigator has reviewed more than 200 photographs that were taken of a luncheon held at Angel Stadium on June 6th which not only clearly show Mayor Ashleigh Aitkensharing a table with Laura Cunningham, president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, but Molly Jolly, senior vice president of Finance/Administration for Angels Baseball.
In one photo, the mayor can be seen talking to Matthew Hicks, vice president of Public Affairs for ocV!BE, a $4 billion mixed-use development surrounding the Honda Center that is controlled by Henry Samueli, a Newport Beach billionaire. In another, John Carpino, president of Angels Baseball and right-hand man for team owner Arte Moreno, is standing directly behind her.
Mayor Aitken was not alone at this event. Photos show Councilman Stephen Faessel sat at the ocV!BE table between Hicks and George Urch, their lobbyist. Councilwomen Natalie Meeks and Norma Campos-Kurtz were huddled together off to the side, not far from Mike Lyster, chief communications officer for the City of Anaheim. Fire ChiefPat Russell was also present.
Mayor Pro Tem Natalie Rubalcava and Councilman Jose Diaz were seated at the same table as Aitken was. So was City Manager James Vanderpool, who was stuck in the middle of Jolly and Matt Cunningham, Laura’s husband. Also joining them was Alicia Valadez-Gonzalez of Northgate Markets. One photo shows Berenice Ballinas, Aitken’s Chief of Staff, taking selfies with her.
The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce table.
The luncheon, an annual event that is organized by the Anaheim Chamber, typically brings in a little league baseball team from the local community to meet and interact with persons who played for Angels Baseball, both past and present. Some of the featured guests on June 6th included Patrick Sandoval, Chuck Finley, and Clyde Wright, three generations of Angels pitchers.
Neither Mayor Aitken or any of the five council members who attended this luncheon responded to questions The Investigator emailed them asking about who paid for their tickets and what actions they took to avoid violating the Brown Act, the state law which regulates the conduct of elected officials at meetings. Instead, they directed our questions to Lyster.
“The Brown Act,”he told us via email, “allows a majority of or all Council members to attend public events without discussing city business among themselves. Our Council members are made aware of and follow this practice.” Though Lyster is technically correct, there is one slight problem: tickets to this luncheon cost a whopping $200 per person and were “limited.”
It could be conceivably argued that despite the fact this event was “open” to the public, the steep price of admission created a barrier to access based on wealth and social class: only people with money could afford to attend. The Brown Actmakes it illegal for public meetings to be held in facilities which require payment to enter, but that provision doesn’t seem to apply here.
With respect to the tickets that the mayor, city council, and city staff received from the Anaheim Chamber, Lyster said as follows:
Mayor Aitken, Mayor Pro Tem Rubalcava and Council Members Faessel, Diaz, Campos Kurtz and Meeks attended and were provided tickets.
For Aitken, Faessel and Kurtz, their tickets fall under ceremonial job duties as Aitken addressed attendees, Faessel did the invocation and Kurtz led the pledge of allegiance.
For Rubalcava, Meeks, Diaz and City Manager Jim Vanderpool, it will fall to them to list their tickets as part of a form 700 due in spring 2024.
In a follow up email, he confirmed the city didn’t pay for the tickets and that the Anaheim Chamber gave them away for free.
Carpino, Aitken and Meeks.
Because this is a breaking news story, The Investigator is still in the process of gathering information about this luncheon. Last week, we filed multiple public records act requests with the city to see if there are any emails and other documents which might shed more light on this matter. If we find anything else significant to report on, a follow up article will be written.
For matter of record, The Investigator does not possess the legal expertise to determine if the mayor and city council violated the Brown Act. And even if Lyster is fundamentally correct, none of this changes the fact they were having private conversations with representatives from the Anaheim Chamber, Angels Baseball, and other business interests out of public view.
Interestingly enough, there also seems have been a conscious decision by elected officials to keep this luncheon a secret. With the exception of a notation Aitken posted on her June calendar, nobody has talked about it. If it wasn’t for The Investigator’s dogged determination to expose what politicians do behind closed doors, the public would have never known it occurred.
John Carpino, president of Angels Baseball team, at a private event held in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2023.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In a recent article published in the Voice of OC entitled, “Who’s on the Hook for Angel Stadium Repairs?,” Hosam Elatar posed several questions to Mayor Ashleigh Aitkenabout issues related to Angel Stadium, including its pending assessment by a private consultant hired by the City of Anaheim. One thing she made perfectly clear: “The Angels have not reached out to me, nor has the city reached out to the Angels.”
However, The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Aitken not only secretly met with John Carpino, president of the Angels Baseball team, at a coffee shop in late February, but that the meeting she had with him might have dealt with the Angel Stadium assessment. Why? It was scheduled only thirty minutes before city officials toured the facility with a group of consultants interested in bidding for the job.
Phone text messages The Investigator obtained under the public records act show Carpino initiated contact with Aitken on Thursday, February 16th. “Do you have time for coffee in the next few weeks?” he asked. “Yes, I do. Can you meet me at 8:30 at Bodhi coffee on Monday the 27th?,” the mayor responded. On February 26th, Aitken texted him again to confirm the meeting was still on. “Yes, looking forward to it,” he said.
Aitken confirming meeting with Carpino.
When The Investigator carefully reviewed the February calendar that Mayor Aitken made available to the public which supposedly lists all of the meetings “requested” of her that month, absolutely nothing is mentioned about her having coffee with Carpino on the 27th. During the last week, she stated only two things occurred: a city council meeting and a meeting with “Disneyland representatives.”
No mention of Carpino meeting in the mayor’s calendar.
It isn’t a coincidence the secret meeting that Aitken had with Carpino at the Bodhi Leaf CoffeeTraders shop in Orange was scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on February 27th. Approximately thirty minutes later, a group of consultants invited by the City of Anaheim gathered under the “Big A” sign to do a tour of Angel Stadiumto bid on “a property condition assessment” of that facility. A sign-in sheet recorded that 25 persons attended.
Partial screenshot of website listing Angel Stadium tour.
Furthermore, several letters show that just days before their meeting, both Carpino and ArentFox Schiff LLP, a prestigious law firm retained by the sports team, demanded that the city cancel the tour of Angel Stadium, asserting it was a violation of the lease agreement–a claim vigorously rejected by City Manager James Vanderpool and City Attorney Robert Fabela. Carpino made sure to copy his letter to Aitken.
So far, the mayor hasn’t responded to questions The Investigator sent regarding the secret meeting she had with Carpino in late February. But perhaps it should be noted these types of behind-the-scenes political maneuvers with executives of the Angels Baseball team are part of the reason why former Mayor Harry Sidhu got into trouble with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was forced to resign his seat.
Below are letters exchanged in February between representatives of the Angels Baseball team and the City of Anaheim regarding the tour of Angel Stadium.
The job offer was set into motion shortly after Valencia sent out an email to James Vanderpool, the city manager, on Monday, July 26, 2021, expressing that he “would like to hire Dr. Tina Arias Miller as a Senior Policy Aide…. Dr. Miller will be working about 6-7 hours a week. Her hourly compensation will be $31.00 an hour.”
Valencia’s email to the city manager.
Documents The Investigator acquired from the City of Anaheim show that Miller worked for Valencia less than a year. A human resources action report notes she was hired on August 16, 2021. And her last day on the job was March 31, 2022, according to the final Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests that she filed.
However, it’s unclear what Miller did for the councilman that warranted her higher pay grade. For example, The Investigator carefully reviewed his calendar during the several months he employed her and though she was sent to a few city meetings, she appears to have spent most of her time doing tasks that lesser-paid council aides do.
But most importantly, Valencia took steps to ensure the public never knew he had hired her. At no time did he ever list Miller’s name on his homepage on the city website. And despite the fact she had an official email address, she was apparently told not to use it to send messages, enabling her to elude detection from public records act requests.
Valencia has known Serrano since 2018. Sources have alleged the two used to “hang out” together at the Santa Ana Police Officers Association headquarters quite often. Furthermore, they claim Serrano was a guest at his wedding to MonicaMungia, who is employed as a principal with the Anaheim Elementary School District.
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