CASE FILE #22·THE DESMOND FILES·SUBMITTED
collecting drafting submitted
The Desmond Files · Case #2

Building in the Fire Zone

AI Fact Sheet

How $170K, a Silenced Fire District, and a Unanimous Vote Put 453 Homes at the End of a Two-Lane Road

Total money traced
≈ $170,000
San Diego · public-record filings
Report #30 · The Desmond Files (part 2) · condensed AI fact sheet. Chronological; every claim cited; inferences flagged. Source: full report building-in-the-fire-zone.
Built on public records
Documented fact — traces to a filed public record.
Inference — a reading of the record, not a legal finding.
Scope
≈ $170,000

The approval of Harmony Grove Village South (HGVS) — a 453-home development at the end of a two-lane road in a fire-prone area of unincorporated San Diego County — and the money and process around it, 2018–2026. Primary public official: Jim Desmond, District 5 County Supervisor. Total traced ≈ $170,000 in political donations from the developer and associates across both parties, plus a separate $850,000 donation attempt to the local fire district (blocked). Nothing here is alleged to be illegal; the point of the brief is the legal machinery and the documented contradictions in the public record.

Summary — what happened

Marcel Arsenault, a Denver-based billionaire, controls RCS Harmony Partners, which owns the land for Harmony Grove Village South — 453 proposed homes at the far end of Country Club Drive, a two-lane road that is the only exit for the Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove communities. E-904 E-920 While the project was pending before the County of San Diego, RCS and its associates donated approximately $170,000 to political campaigns across both parties: $35,000 to a committee supporting Republican supervisor candidate Kevin Faulconer, and $100,000 (via RCS vice president Judy Larson) to a San Diego Labor Coalition Democratic voter guide. E-896 E-904 The developer's party giving tracked the Board of Supervisors majority — $1,000 to the county Republican Party in October 2018 when Republicans held the majority, then $15,000 to the county Democratic Party in February 2022 after Democrats took it. [DB:C-3112]

In November 2024, RCS offered an $850,000 "voluntary donation" to the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District — the same district whose position would bear on the project's fire-safety case — and the item was pulled from the board's November 20 agenda after roughly 100 community letters arrived within four hours. E-909 E-935 [DB:C-3100] [DB:C-3111] In a separate channel, the county Chief Administrative Officer's office directed the fire district not to review or provide input on the HGVS fire protection plan, a directive Fire Chief Dave McQuead confirmed in an August 2025 letter. E-910 [DB:C-3113] McQuead told community members on September 17, 2025 that the project would not pass under today's fire code, then testified to the Board of Supervisors on October 1, 2025 that it was safe; he has not publicly explained the discrepancy. E-907 E-906 E-903 On October 1, 2025 the Board approved HGVS by a 5-0 vote, with Desmond making the motion. E-893 E-906 Desmond had voted against the county's Climate Action Plan in September 2024, which directs development away from fire-prone zones. E-758 Two lawsuits — a Sierra Club CEQA petition (November 2025) and an Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council and Endangered Habitats League fire-safety suit (December 2025, citing McQuead's letter) — are pending in San Diego Superior Court. E-933 E-922 E-934 None of the individual acts documented here has been found illegal.

Timeline

2018-10

Republican-side donation. RCS Harmony Partners donates $1,000 to the San Diego County Republican Party, at a time when Republicans held the Board of Supervisors majority. [DB:C-3112]

2021 E-969

Prior appeal and project freeze. Elfin Forest residents file an appeal of an earlier version of the project; it leads to a project freeze, and the current version is revived after that challenge ends.

2022-02

Democratic-side donation. RCS donates $15,000 to the San Diego Democratic Party, after Democrats took the Board of Supervisors majority. (Same developer, opposite party from the 2018 gift.) [DB:C-3112]

FY2023 E-940E-984

Foundation revenue spike. The Rancho Santa Fe Fire District Foundation reports $804,176 in revenue for fiscal year 2023, against a prior range of roughly $42,000–$284,000. The Foundation's Schedule B (donor list) for that year was filed as scanned images and the donor names are not machine-readable.

Inferredthe proximity of the spike to the blocked $850,000 direct donation is a temporal observation only; the public record does not establish that the Foundation received or routed developer money, and the unreadable donor list means the claim can be neither verified nor disproven (not a legal finding).
2024-02-14 E-908E-904

The $100,000 voter-guide donation. Judy Larson, a vice president of RCS Harmony Partners, donates $100,000 in the name of RCS to the San Diego Labor Coalition for a Democratic Choice voter guide supporting Todd Gloria, Joe LaCava, Stephen Whitburn, and Brian Maienschein. [DB:C-3105]

2024-09 E-758

Climate Action Plan vote (cross-reference). The Board adopted the county's Climate Action Plan 3-2, directing development away from fire-prone zones; Desmond voted no, alongside Supervisor Joel Anderson. (One year before the HGVS approval.)

2024 E-896

The $35,000 Republican-side committee donation. RCS donates $35,000 to the Homelessness Crisis Response Committee supporting Kevin Faulconer for Supervisor, while HGVS is pending before the Board. [DB:C-3104]

2024 (cycle) E-896E-904

The $170,000 total. Across the 2024–2025 cycles, RCS principals and associates donate approximately $170,000 to political campaigns funding both sides. Developer David Kovach separately donates $30,000 to a Building Industry Association (BIA) committee, $25,000 to a committee supporting McCann, and $10,000 to the Democratic Party.

2024-11 E-909E-935E-916

The $850,000 fire-district donation, offered. An item appears on the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District board agenda: an $850,000 "voluntary donation" from RCS, scheduled for a November 20, 2024 board vote. (The donation required a board vote because it exceeded $500.) [DB:C-3100] [DB:C-3111]

2024-11 E-909E-935

The $850,000 donation, blocked. Approximately 100 community letters arrive within four hours of notice; the item is removed from the agenda before a vote. Incoming board member Kevin Barnard calls it "an obvious attempt to secure support for the project"; community member Jon Dummer calls it a "legal bribe." [DB:C-3100] [DB:C-3111]

2025-08 E-910E-934

The county directive (letter). Fire Chief Dave McQuead writes a letter, later obtained by inewsource and cited in court filings, confirming that the county directed the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District not to review or provide input on the HGVS fire protection plan. The directive came from the office of County Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton. [DB:C-3113]

2025-09 E-960

Cottonwood Sand Mine (contrast). The same month the HGVS vote was pending, Desmond voted to reject the Cottonwood Sand Mine ("I struggled with this one. It's just not a good fit"), and the Board rejected it unanimously. (Establishes the Board can and did say no to a separate project.)

2025-09-17 E-907

The first statement. At a public meeting with Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove residents, McQuead says HGVS "would not pass" under today's fire code.

2025-10-01 E-906E-903E-893

The second statement and the vote. Fourteen days later, before the Board of Supervisors, McQuead testifies that the project is safe, in response to a direct question from Desmond. Approximately 100 speakers address the Board. The Board approves HGVS 5-0, with Desmond making the motion to approve. [DB:C-3101]

Inferredthe report characterizes the September and October statements as contradictory; McQuead has not publicly explained the discrepancy and no ethics or legal body has ruled on it (not a finding of perjury or coercion).
2025-11-04 E-938E-937E-933

Sierra Club lawsuit. The Sierra Club files a CEQA petition in San Diego Superior Court alleging the Environmental Impact Report is outdated and the vehicle-miles-traveled and wildfire-safety analyses are inadequate. [DB:C-3109]

2025-11-20 E-974

Desmond's workshop rhetoric. At a November 2025 housing workshop, Desmond attacks environmental groups for "abusing the legal process" and calls for penalties on "frivolous lawsuits on housing projects." [DB:C-3138]

2025-12-20 E-922E-913E-934

Second lawsuit. The Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council and the Endangered Habitats League file a second suit, alleging the county blocked the fire district from reviewing the fire protection plan and citing McQuead's August 2025 letter as evidence. [DB:C-3110]

2026-01-14 E-973

BIA op-ed (cross-reference). BIA CEO Aimee Faucett co-authors an op-ed pushing backcountry development and changes to vehicle-miles-traveled policy.

Thematic groupings

### The both-sides donation pattern

The same developer money appears in committees for opposing parties and candidates while HGVS was pending. These are legally distinct contributions that look unrelated on any single filing.

  • $100,000 — RCS (via Judy Larson) to the San Diego Labor Coalition Democratic voter guide. [DB:C-3105]
  • $35,000 — RCS to the Homelessness Crisis Response Committee supporting Republican candidate Kevin Faulconer. [DB:C-3104]
  • $15,000 — RCS to the San Diego Democratic Party (2022). [DB:C-3112]
  • $1,000 — RCS to the San Diego County Republican Party (2018). [DB:C-3112]
  • $30,000 / $25,000 / $10,000 — developer David Kovach to a BIA committee, a committee supporting McCann, and the Democratic Party, respectively. E-896

Inferred: that the party of the recipient tracked the Board of Supervisors majority (Republican gift in 2018, Democratic gift in 2022) is a characterization of the timing, not a legal finding; donating to multiple parties is not itself unlawful.

### Three documented process facts about the fire review

  • County directive: the CAO's office directed the fire district not to review the HGVS fire protection plan (McQuead's own August 2025 letter). E-910 [DB:C-3113]
  • The two statements: McQuead said the project would not pass current fire code on 2025-09-17, then testified it was safe on 2025-10-01. E-907 E-906
  • Prior systemic pattern: a 2022 KPBS/inewsource investigation documented county staff feeding fire officials talking points and developer-hired consultants producing the environmental reviews meant to independently assess fire risk. E-950

### The Twohy dual role

Frank Twohy simultaneously served as Fire Chief of Elfin Forest Station #6 (within the RSF Fire District) and as a board member (Treasurer) of the RSF Fire District Foundation, a 501(c)(3). Per the Foundation's 990 filings, Twohy received approximately $329,000 in compensation over five years and was the only officer ever compensated. [DB:C-3136] E-940 E-962 E-963 Inferred: the brief notes the dual role and compensation as documented facts; it does not assert that Twohy channeled developer money or influenced fire-safety assessments improperly (not a legal finding; no ethics body has ruled on it).

Fire-safety figures

FigureValueSource note
Proposed homes (HGVS)453E-893
Modeled evacuation time7–9 hoursIndependent fire modeling, as reported E-920
Modeled fire-arrival time~90 minutesIndependent fire modeling, as reported E-920
Only exit roadCountry Club Drive (2 lanes)E-920
Fire-station operating shortfall~$2,000,000 / yearE-916 E-936

Inferred: the evacuation-vs-arrival figures are independent fire modeling cited in reporting, not a MathPolitics finding; they are presented as attributed estimates.

The vote

ActionDateTally / positionSource
HGVS approval2025-10-015-0; Desmond made the motionE-893 E-906
Climate Action Plan adoption2024-093-2; Desmond voted noE-758
Cottonwood Sand Mine2025-09rejected unanimously; Desmond voted to rejectE-960

No supervisor, in the reported public record of the October 1 hearing, raised the $850,000 donation attempt, the county directive not to review, or the difference between McQuead's September and October statements. E-903 E-906

Key players

  • Jim Desmond — District 5 County Supervisor; made the motion to approve HGVS 5-0, voted against the 2024 Climate Action Plan, and later called housing lawsuits "frivolous." Running for Congress (CA-48). E-899
  • Marcel Arsenault — Denver-based billionaire; controls RCS Harmony Partners, the HGVS landowner/developer.
  • Judy Larson — RCS Harmony Partners vice president; made the $100,000 voter-guide donation in RCS's name. [DB:C-3105]
  • Dave McQuead — Rancho Santa Fe Fire Chief; told the community HGVS would not pass current fire code (2025-09-17), then testified it was safe (2025-10-01); his August 2025 letter documents the county directive not to review.
  • Ebony Shelton — County Chief Administrative Officer; her office directed the fire district not to review the fire protection plan. [DB:C-3113]
  • Frank Twohy — Fire Chief of Elfin Forest Station #6 and Treasurer of the RSF Fire District Foundation; ~$329,000 in Foundation compensation over five years, the only compensated officer. [DB:C-3136]
  • Kevin Barnard — incoming RSF Fire District board member; called the $850,000 offer "an obvious attempt to secure support for the project."
  • David Kovach — developer; gave $30,000 to a BIA committee, $25,000 to a committee supporting McCann, and $10,000 to the Democratic Party. E-896
  • Aimee Faucett — BIA CEO; co-authored a January 2026 op-ed pushing backcountry development and VMT-policy changes. E-973

Caveats

Read this before quoting any figure
  • This brief asserts no illegality. None of the individual acts documented — the bipartisan donations, the $850,000 donation attempt, the county directive, the fire chief's two statements, or the 5-0 vote — has been found to violate any law. Two pending lawsuits raise legal challenges; the courts have not ruled.
  • No claim of bribery or quid pro quo against Desmond. The donations are documented and the vote is documented; the causal link between them is not established and is not asserted.
  • No claim that McQuead lied under oath or was coerced. The brief documents the county directive, the two statements, and that McQuead has not publicly explained the discrepancy.
  • The Foundation revenue spike is a temporal observation only. The brief does not assert that the $804,176 FY2023 revenue came from the developer or that the Foundation served as a pass-through; the donor list is filed as unreadable scanned images, so the question cannot be resolved from the public record.
  • The "both-sides" / party-switch characterization describes the timing of legally distinct contributions, not a legal determination.
  • The 7–9 hour evacuation and ~90 minute fire-arrival figures are independent fire modeling cited in reporting, attributed rather than independently verified by MathPolitics.
  • Several specific amounts and dates ($170,000 aggregate, $15,000 / $1,000 party donations, the $850,000 offer, Twohy's ~$329,000) trace to the MathPolitics database connection records (cited [DB:C-####]), which themselves draw on the news and filing sources in the Reference key; figures cited only via DB are aggregated or summarized from those underlying records.
  • Lawsuit filings establish the existence of claims, not their merits. No prediction is made about outcomes.

Reference key

Report #30 · The Desmond Files (part 2) · condensed AI fact sheet. Chronological; every claim cited; inferences flagged. Source: full report building-in-the-fire-zone.

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