Tag Archives: Including Energy Companies who Produce Gas

Where is the Benicia Valero PAC money coming from?

“Working Families” PAC is actually Big Oil money, a mysterious “Coalition to Restore,” and the Republican Party
By Roger Straw, October 13, 2020

The Political Action Committee (PAC), which calls itself “Working Families…Supporting Christina Strawbridge,” is anything but a bunch of working families.  My research shows that the PAC is Big Oil money and other unidentified “Affiliated Entities.”

Valero’s 2020 Benicia PAC was funded last November by a contribution of $200,000 from “Valero Services, Inc. and Affiliated Entities“,  supposedly located in Benicia.  The PAC is promoting Christina Strawbridge for Mayor, but has also engaged in negative campaigning, spreading lies and unflattering images of her opponent, Steve Young.

So the Valero PAC is funded by Valero Services Inc.  But it is unclear who or what are the RECENT financial backers of Valero Services, Inc.  A little history might help:

In 2015, Valero Services, Inc. was funded by the following “entities”

  • California Republican Party $150,000
  • Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy $35,000
  • Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class, Including Energy Companies who Produce Gas, Oil, Jobs and Pay Taxes $2,000,000

Valero Services, Inc. makes huge contributions to a variety of political campaigns and PACs.  A June 2019 document shows Valero Services expenditures of $675,579.94 in the first 6 months of 2019, including

  • $500,000 to the above mentioned “Coalition to Restore
  • $75,000 to the California Republican Party
  • 8 in-kind contributions to Working Families for a Strong Benicia $36,778
  • Contributions to the Western States Petroleum Association PAC and the Valero Energy Corp PAC
  • And contributions ranging from $2,000 to $4,700 to the campaigns of seventeen candidates for California Senate and Assembly, including $2,000 to the campaign for Benicia’s Assembly member, Tim Grayson.

Note that major influencer “Coalition to Restore…” is still going strong: