By Roger Straw, November 1, 2022
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Late today, Benicia City Clerk Lisa Wolfe posted two more campaign finance reports submitted by the Valero PAC. These reports shed light on the expenditure of an additional $18,698.61 to elect their preferred candidates for Benicia City Council.
$10,000 of this amount is for a massive social media campaign. The PAC has already set up a Facebook page.
The remaining amount, approximately $8,700, is for another misleading mailer.
With this additional outlay, the PAC has spent a total of $73,095.83 just in the last week of October.
Disclosed in these two reports are the actual images – 8 new full color ads, once again including subtly deceptive positioning of photos of Benicia’s Mayor and Vice-Mayor, suggesting that they support Valero’s chosen candidates. Mayor Young and Vice-Mayor Campbell have not supported Valero’s candidates. Both have endorsed Kari Birdseye and Terry Scott.
The ads all portray Valero’s chosen two as significant players in a City Council that gets things done. “Christina Strawbridge, Lionel Largaespada, and City Councilmembers led Benicia through COVID-19.” “Christina Strawbridge, Lionel Largaespada, and City Councilmembers Support our first responders.”
Valero seems to have learned a lesson in 2020: wait to spend your fortune in the last few weeks, and don’t bash your opposition directly – only by hint and suggestion.
The PAC has now spent over $73,000, twice what any legitimate human resident candidate’s campaign can spend. And that leaves about $160,000 in their war chest. Who knows how much they will pay out in the final week before the November 8 election?
>> And that’s a question with no forthcoming answer. The PAC will not be required to file another report until after the election, covering the period 10/31/22 – 11/8/22. This form will be due in the Benicia City Clerk’s office on 11/11/22.
The following links go to the City of Benicia website, displaying the PAC’s 2 latest reports, including images of their ads:
Note that others in Benicia are keeping an eye on Valero’s meddling in our elections – check out Benicians For Clean Elections at https://www.beniciansforcleanelections.org/
See also my page of support for candidate Kari Birdseye here on the BenIndy.
Stay tuned. I’ll let you know if/when we learn more.
Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent
Previously on the BenIndy…
- Benicia to Protest Valero Election Meddling This Wednesday 5pm
- Candidate Kari Birdseye: Valero is spending big money to promote their preferred candidates ….. Again.
- Candidate Terry Scott on Valero’s deceptive flyer
- BENICIA MAYOR BLASTS DECEPTIVE VALERO PAC FLYER
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VALERO PAC NO LONGER EXISTS, ‘GENERAL PURPOSE COMMITTEE’ NOW OPERATING IN ITS PLACE
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VALERO’S 2018-2022 BIG-MONEY EFFORT TO CONTROL BENICIA CITY COUNCIL
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VALERO PAC REPORTS $226,000 ON HAND TO INFLUENCE BENICIA’S NOVEMBER ELECTIONS (August 2022)
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BENICIA’S MAYOR CALLS OUT VALERO’S BIG WAR CHEST AHEAD OF ELECTION
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HERE WE GO AGAIN – BENICIA CANDIDATES AND VOTERS MUST REJECT VALERO’S BIG MONEY
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VALERO SITTING ON $232,000 IN READINESS TO INFLUENCE 2022 BENICIA ELECTIONS (February 2022)
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