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.
Berenice Ballinas, Kristen Maahs-Kolberg, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, and Pepe Avila at Angel Stadium on June 7, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
More than 200 photographs currently in the possession of The Anaheim Investigatorshow that although the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Angel Stadium on June 7th attracted far less council members than it did back in 2023, there were more candidates. Furthermore, a number of new faces were present this year, including Paul Kott, a local realtor, and Josh Newman, a state senator that represents the 29th district.
Several others show Aitken mingling with Ross McCune, owner and president of Calsteal Builders Inc., and William O’Connell III, director of operations for Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim. In another photo, the mayor is seated at table in between Jerry Jordan, the new president/CEO of the Anaheim Chamber, and Alicia Valadez-Gonzalez, chairwoman of their board of directors. She is also a community relations manager for Northgate Markets.
Aitken and O’Connell III.
Councilman Stephen Faessal can be seen eating lunch with Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels Baseball, and State Senator Newman, who kept fidgeting with his smartphone. Seated right next to him was James Vanderpool, the city manager. Other persons in attendance included the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas, Mayor Pro-Tem Norma Campos-Kurtz, Fire Chief Pat Russell, and Third District Supervisor Don Wagner.
Ryan Bailus, a candidate running for city council in district 1, also made his presence known. Unlike Maahs-Kolberg and Campos-Kurtz, both of whom will be facing voters for the very first time in November, this is his second try. In 2020, Bailus ran a spirited campaign against Councilwoman Denise Barnes, an incumbent, and Jose Diaz, coming in third with 19.8% of the vote. This year his only opponent is Ojaala Ahmed.
Bailus and Wagner.
The luncheon, an annual event that is organized by the Anaheim Chamber, typically brings in a youth sports league from the local community to meet and interact with persons who played for Angels Baseball, both past and present. However, the only featured guests this time around were Perry Minasian, the team’s general manager, and Trent Rush, a reporter and host forAM 830 KLAA, a radio station owned by the club.
Tom Daly with Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and his wife Debbie at the State of the City Address on June 6, 2024.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Tom Daly, a lobbyist retained by SALT Development, a Utah-based real estate firm that is planning to build 498 luxury apartments, single-family estates, and commercial space on ecologically-sensitive land in Anaheim Hills, has deep ties to the family of Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.
Besides the fact Dalyhas been an advisor to the mayor, campaign finance records reviewed by The Anaheim Investigator show he was a member of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, the political machine Wylie Aitken, her father, used to wield his influence over local politics.
But Form 460s that were later filed with the California Secretary of State reveal that the former state assemblyman pumped $15,050 into the Democratic Foundation from 2014 to 2018, even paying their $1,100 annual membership dues. He also gave them $4,000 in 2002.
From the Secretary of State.
Additionally, other records disclose that Wylie himself wrote out big checks to help Daly in his bids for public office. Between the years of 2012 and 2017, he contributed about $6,500 to his state assembly campaigns, usually in dollar amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
Numerous photographs in the possession of The Investigator make it clear Daly was a featured guest at events sponsored by the Democratic Foundation. At one, he can be seen seated at a table not far from Penn. Across from them is Carrie Nocella, an executive with the Disneyland Resort.
Mitchell is no stranger to the political arena. He is a consultant for several law enforcement unions, including the Anaheim Police Association. Perhaps it should be noted that the latter spent $92,556 to help Mayor Aitken get elected in 2022, according to campaign finance records.
In response, the firm says that only half of the land will be developed, the rest being kept as open space. Potential fire risks will be mitigated by adding a dozen hydrants and removing excess vegetation. Moreover, public access to the nearby Deer Canyon Park Preserve will be improved.
For the record, The Investigator emailed questions to both Daly and Mitchell. With respect to the latter, we wondered why he has spent the past five years working for SALT Development for free and asked if he ever expects to be compensated. So far Mitchell has ignored us.
But Daly, to his credit, did send us a reply. Responding to a question we posed about whether or not his pre-existing relationships with Mayor Aitken, her family, and other council members might have played a role in the firm’s decision to hire him, he wrote as follows:
I was hired to join this project team, which will bring first-class housing and many community benefits, because I am deeply knowledgeable of Anaheim’s planning history as well as our current planning priorities. And I’m certainly aware of our pressing housing needs.
As an Anaheim native, I represented the community as an elected official for thirty-seven years. Fourteen of those were at our City Hall, where I participated in many complicated public hearings on housing proposals.
I know literally thousands of residents, including the entire city council and city staff.
Ashleigh Aitken, Josh Spears, Stephen Faessel, Bette Aitken, and Susan Faessel atthe Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center in 2018.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
During The Anaheim Investigator’srecent inquiry into Norma Campos-Kurtz‘s close ties with Councilman Stephen Faessel, we accidentally stumbled across circumstantial evidence which suggested that another prominent Anaheim politician might also have had a similar relationship with him: Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.
For example, we discovered the mayor had some sort of link to Anaheim Beautiful, a non-profit organization that Faessel and his wife have championed. Multiple photographs The Investigator reviewed show Aitken attended a couple of events this group held at various venues, sometimes while the councilman’s wife was present.
In one photo of a September 2018 luncheon, Aitken can be seen seated at a table directly across from Campos-Kurtz, a who not only joined the Board of Directors of Anaheim Beautiful the previous year, but also maintained a tight relationship with Faessel through her job as district director for state Assemblyman Tom Daly.
Campos-Kurtz (back to camera) with Aitken in 2018.
In an attempt to learn more, The Investigator sent an email to Faessel asking him about his interactions with Aitken, including what knowledge he had about her with respect to Anaheim Beautiful, especially since evidence in our possession suggested that she had been affiliated with this non-profit for at least six years.
In response, the councilman told us that though he doesn’t consider Ashleigh to be a close friend, he has known her for “some years” now. But he said that they became acquainted with each other through their involvement with the Muzeo Museum&Cultural Center and Community Services Board, not Anaheim Beautiful.
Below is Faessel‘s reply:
I served as a member of the original MUZEO board with Betty Aiken and got to know her husband Wylie through that connection, I recall that Ashleigh chaired a MUZEO Fundraiser years ago when her mom and dad were still active in the organization.
My wife Susan served on the Anaheim Community Services Board along with Mrs. Ashleigh Aitken for a couple years in the later 2000’s (I cannot recall exactly) so certainly I got to meet her from time to time there.
While you mentioned her being a member of Anaheim Beautiful, I do not have any personal knowledge of that. Susan and I are very supportive of Anaheim Beautiful however I don’t know every member. She may have been a member.
To go to your main question, we know of each other and have for some years. We do not, nor ever have met socially (unless we happened to have attended the same event coincidentally.)
Therefore I would not describe our relationship as ‘close friends.’
The Anaheim Investigator made at least three attempts to contact Aitken and Berenice Ballinas, her chief of staff, requesting comment for this article. However, for some strange reason, the mayor, who claims to be open and transparent with everybody, declined to answer any of the questions we sent her and ignored our emails.
Norma Campos-Kurtz (left) with Jordan Brandman (right) at an Anaheim Beautiful luncheon in December 2017.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In the aftermath of the AnaheimCity Council vote to appointNorma Campos-Kurtz to the District 4 seat vacated by Avelino Valencia III last year, a number of partisan Democrats were struggling to figure out the reason why Councilman Stephen Faessel was seemingly “chosen” to nominate her during the final round of balloting.
One video that was circulated on various Facebook groups made an attempt to understand what transpired by carefully dissecting every single move the council made that night. But such superficial analysis always ends up becoming an exercise in futility especially if you don’t know anything about the context of the behavior which took place.
The Anaheim Investigator, however, knew there was a very simple explanation for all of this. And we really didn’t have to dig that deep to find it. Evidence shows that Campos-Kurtz and Faessel are friends. Regardless of what the councilman’s publicly-stated motives were for picking her, they’ve known each other at least since 2016.
The relationship between the two began in earnest shortly after Faessel was elected to his seat on the Anaheim City Council in 2016. At that time, Campos-Kurtz was district director for Tom Daly, a state Assemblyman whose area encompassed a large chunk of Anaheim. One of her tasks was to do outreach to the councilman.
Things began to blossom when Campos-Kurtz joined the Board of Directors of Anaheim Beautiful in 2017, a non-profit organization whose core membership appears to consist of upper-middle class homeowners, some of whom have had ties to other groups like Support our Anaheim Resort and the now-defunct Anaheim First.
Not only has Faessel been a strong supporter of Anaheim Beautiful, but his wife has been an active participant in their activities:”Susan supports … Anaheim Beautiful programs such as Green Ribbon Week, Neighborhood Clean Up, Memorial Tree and Holiday Lights Tour,” according to the Anaheim High School Alumni Association website.
There is no doubt Campos-Kurtz’s involvement with Anaheim Beautiful’s board has benefited them. For example, in two messages posted on Facebook and Twitter in 2019 and 2021, it appears she was instrumental in boosting political support for that non-profit’s activities, including a scholarship program and a holiday lights award ceremony.
In direct response to a question The Investigator emailed to Campos-Kurtz about her relationship with Faessel, she quite frankly admitted to us what we already suspected based on evidence gathered during our own probe: that she had been friends with the councilman for several years now, though mostly in an official capacity.
“I met the councilmember soon after he was first elected to council as a result of responsibilities while working for then Assemblymember Tom Daly,” she told us last Friday. “Over the years I’ve met up with the councilmember (and his wife) at several community events, organization luncheons/dinners, city meetings and events.”
For matter of record, The Investigator does not dispute that Campos-Kurtz is qualified to be a councilwoman. But decisions to appoint someone to a vacant seat aren’t made at a city council meeting alone. They are based on pre-existing relationships formed over years of interactions. Faessel may deny it, but that’s one reason why he nominated her.
Linda Newby (left) with Natalie Meeks (right) at a closed-door meeting of the Anaheim First Neighborhood Leadership Summit in July 2019.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Norma Campos-Kurtz and Linda Newby, two candidates of whom The Anaheim Investigator believes are the likely front runners in the race to fill the District 4 city council seat vacated by Avelino Valencia III last year, have hidden ties to Support Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR), an entity mostly funded by The Walt Disney Company.
Evidence reviewed by The Investigator–including campaign finance documents, numerous photographs, and archived websites–not only show that both women have contributed money to SOAR’s political action committee through various fundraisers, but that one of them was appointed to its separate advisory board in 2022.
Newby, a longtime resident of Anaheim, is the owner of Gallery Travel, a “full-service travel agency.” Between 2013 and 2014, she served on the board of directors of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and has been active in other groups formed by that body, such as Anaheim First, which was backed by former Mayor Harry Sidhu.
Multiple photographs in the possession of The Investigator show Newby has participated in SOAR fundraisers on and off since 2014. Form 460s filed by SOAR with the City Clerk’s office report she gave at least $100 to them on at least four different occasions (the last time being August 26, 2021), but did so under the name of her business.
Newby with Sidhu.
Campos-Kurtz, like Newby, has also given SOAR cash. For example, a Form 460 filed in 2020 reports that she made a $100 contribution in October. But another form filed a year earlier shows that Ken Kurtz, her husband, gave them about $200. Notes mention that his payment was made directly to Jill Kanzler, then executive director.
That Campos-Kurtz has a close relationship with SOAR is of no surprise. Between 2014 and 2021, she worked for Democratic State Assemblyman Tom Daly, who was one of the earliest champions of this Disney-funded entity. Not only do Form 460s show that Daly got funds from them, but he bragged about their endorsement in 2012.
In 2020, SOARspent a whopping $405,710–the bulk of which came from The Walt Disney Company–to help Valencia get elected to his District 4 city council seat. It’s not a coincidence that at the time this was happening, he was working as a field representative for Daly and Campos-Kurtz just so happened to be his boss.
Screenshot from SOAR’s website.
Despite the fact eleven other people have filed applications seeking appointment to the District 4 city council seat, The Investigator believes that none of them ever stood a chance of being considered for this position. From our perspective, the decision as to who will replace Valencia had already been made weeks ago.
However, there appears to be no clear consensus on the Anaheim City Council right now as to whether they will pick Campos-Kurtz or Newby. There is a possibility the vote could end up deadlocked 3-3 for both. Regardless of what the case will be, the odds a candidate tied to SOAR will be chosen to fill this seat are quite high.
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