Category Archives: Valero PAC

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Campaign finance, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Benicia Valero PAC throws in another $7,000 for live phone calls

By Roger Straw, October 13 2020

Valero PAC spending to buy the 2020 Mayor seat now totals $70,844

Reporting on forms required by Benicia ordinance, the Valero PAC that is attempting to buy the Benicia Mayor race detailed the expenditure of another $7,000 on  October 10.

Cumulative Valero PAC spending to date: $70,844.  (COMPARE: All candidates running for Benicia mayor and Council who pledge to run fair campaigns may not spend over $34,200 on their own campaigns.)

Details of new money spent for Christina Strawbridge and to defeat Steve Young:

  • LIVE CALLS – Another $7,000

Payments was made to WINNING CONNECTIONS, 317 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC.  Source: Benicia_Form_496_6.pdf .

I am tracking DETAILS of the Valero PAC’s 2020 campaign disclosure reports combined in a single Excel spreadsheet.  The sheet contains 2 tabs:

    • “VALERO PAC Form460 CpgnDisclosr” is a record of Valero’s SUMMARY reports, showing 2020 income, expenses and cash balance.
    • “Forms 465 & 496 IndExp” is a more interesting 2nd tab, showing in detail Valero’s individual expenditures.

REFERENCE: Valero PAC Financial Disclosures – City of Benicia website

Source: from the City of Benicia website, 2020 Campaign Finance Reports

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Valero PAC, Valero Services Inc.

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:

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Valero PAC, Valero Services Inc.

Benicia Campaigns to Valero: BACK OFF!

By Roger Straw, October 13, 2020

Young, Scott and Diavatis take out ad in Benicia Herald: “It’s Time to Stop.”

Three Benicia candidates, including two who are running for Mayor, stepped forward on Monday publicly asking a Valero funded independent expenditure committee to stop bombarding residents with robocalls, texts, emails, flyers, mailers and Facebook ads.

The Political Action Committee (PAC), which calls itself “Working Families…Supporting Christina Strawbridge,” is anything but a bunch of working families.  It is Big Oil money and other unidentified “Affiliated Entities.”  The 2020 PAC was funded last November by a contribution of $200,000 from “Valero Services, Inc. and Affiliated Entities”,  supposedly located in Benicia.  This year, the committee is promoting Christina Strawbridge for Mayor, but has also engaged in negative campaigning, spreading lies and unflattering images of her opponent, Steve Young.

See also:
2020 elections, Benicia elections, Campaign finance, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Valero PAC spends another $17,000 for robo calls and live phone calls

By Roger Straw, October 9, 2020

2020 Campaign Finance Reports – Benicia Mayor

Reporting on forms required by Benicia ordinance, the Valero PAC that is attempting to buy the Benicia Mayor race detailed the expenditure of another $17,000 on  October 4.

Cumulative Valero PAC spending to date: $62,844.  (COMPARE: All candidates running for Benicia mayor and Council who pledge to run fair campaigns may not spend over $34,200 on their own campaigns.)

Details of new money spent for Christina Strawbridge to defeat Steve Young:

  • ROBO CALLS – Another $1,000
  • LIVE CALLS – Another $15,000
  • ROBO CALLS – Another $1,000

Both payments were made to WINNING CONNECTIONS, 317 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC.  Source: Benicia_Form_496_4.pdf and Benicia_Form_496_5.pdf.

I am tracking DETAILS of the Valero PAC’s 2020 campaign disclosure reports combined in a single Excel spreadsheet.  The sheet contains 2 tabs:

    • “VALERO PAC Form460 CpgnDisclosr” is a record of Valero’s SUMMARY reports, showing 2020 income, expenses and cash balance.
    • “Forms 465 & 496 IndExp” is a more interesting 2nd tab, showing in detail Valero’s individual expenditures.

REFERENCE: Valero PAC Financial Disclosures – City of Benicia website

Source: from the City of Benicia website, 2020 Campaign Finance Reports