CASE FILE #4·THE GLORIA FILES·SUBMITTED
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The Gloria Files · Case #2

The Donors

AI Fact Sheet

The Full Network Map of Todd Gloria's Corporate Roster

Total money traced
≈ $1.48M
San Diego · public-record filings
Report #2 · The Gloria Files · condensed AI fact sheet. Chronological; every claim cited; inferences flagged. Source: full report 2-source.md ("The Donors: Who Funds Todd Gloria, What They Want, and How They Get It").
Built on reporting by
Ken Stone
Times of San Diego
4 articles
Frank Gormlie
OB Rag
1 article
Matt Potter
San Diego Reader
1 article
Susan Shelley
San Diego Union-Tribune
1 article
Reporting cited in this fact sheet. Read the original stories — support local journalism.
Documented fact — traces to a filed public record.
Inference — a reading of the record, not a legal finding.
Scope
≈ $1.48M

The donor side of Todd Gloria's San Diego political ecosystem, 2015–2026 — who funded his four campaign committees and the independent-expenditure (IE) committees, party PACs, and nonprofits in his orbit, through which legal channels, and what business those donors had before the city. Money traced through four channels: direct campaign contributions (Assembly committees ≈ $1.48M raised; Mayor 2020 ≈ $2.16M) CA-2016 CA-2018 CA-Mayor; IE spending ($210K in 2020 rising to $2.15M+ in 2024) SDEC-2020 SDEC-2024; behested payments ($450K+ since January 2023) UT-2024; and one company's intermediary network (Sempra Energy, $794,200 tracked to Gloria-orbit entities). Total political money in the orbit exceeds $6 million. Nothing here is alleged to be illegal; the point of the brief is the legal machinery — three legally distinct channels that look unrelated on any single filing, used by the same donors at once.

Summary — what happened

Between 2015 and 2026, the donors funding Todd Gloria's campaigns and his political orbit moved more than $6 million through San Diego politics, almost none of it traceable from any single public filing. Sempra Energy — parent of the SDG&E gas-and-electric monopoly — donated $19,700 directly to Gloria's Assembly campaigns, the figure a reporter finds when searching the state database; its full tracked spending to Gloria-orbit entities is $794,200, routed through party committees, intermediary PACs, and IE vehicles, each disclosed on a different form with a different agency DB CA-2016 CA-2018. Organized labor was the largest direct donor bloc — more than $625,000 across the two Assembly committees, led by the State Council of Laborers ($69,350) CA-2016 CA-2018. Real-estate trade groups wrote the biggest IE checks: the California Apartment Association sent $175,000 to the SD Fairness IE committee in 2024 SDEC-2024. IE spending for Gloria rose roughly tenfold, from $210,000 in 2020 to $2.15M+ across four committees in 2024 SDEC-2020 SDEC-2024.

The same names recur across direct contributions, IE committees, and behested payments — three channels California law treats as separate. The SD Regional Chamber PAC appears in three IE committees ($234,963 total) DB; the DSDP PAC, political arm of a nonprofit holding roughly $16M/year in city money, sent $105,000 to pro-Gloria IE committees DB. Sycuan crossed $230,000 across three channels DB. Stephen Cushman occupied seven simultaneous roles — IE fundraiser ($900K+ raised), IE chair, personal IE donor, $24,999 city contractor (one dollar below the council disclosure threshold), behested donor, and board member of two bodies — mobilizing $975,000+ DB. A lobbying firm, Southwest Strategies, fundraised $160,000+ for Gloria while lobbying his office DB. Since January 2023, Gloria solicited $450,000+ in behested payments from developers, casinos, and energy companies, and was fined $10,500 for filing ten disclosures late — some 679 days late UT-2024 Stip23-16. Against more than $6 million in tracked political money, total fines assessed against Gloria are $10,700 (the $200 FPPC fine from Part 1 plus the $10,500 Ethics Commission fine) Stip23-16. Nothing here was found to be illegal; every channel is permitted, and no rule requires anyone to assemble the pieces.

Timeline

2015–2016 CA-2016

Assembly 2016 donors. Gloria's first Assembly committee raises ≈ $748,000 across 716 transactions. Labor leads: CA State Council of Service Employees $34,000, AFSCME-CA People $34,000, CA Real Estate PAC (CREPAC) $34,000, CA Teachers Association $33,000, CA State Council of Laborers $29,750. Corporate donors include Anheuser-Busch $16,800, AT&T $12,600, Morongo Band $19,200, Sempra Energy $8,800.

2017–2018 CA-2018CA-2016

Assembly 2018 donors. The second committee raises ≈ $858,000 across 569 transactions. Top labor PACs: State Building & Construction Trades $44,000, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West $44,000, CA State Council of Laborers $39,600. Corporate donors: Gilead Sciences $19,200, Anheuser-Busch $17,600, Dart Container $17,600, Chevron $15,700, Cox Communications $12,200, Sempra Energy $10,900. Combined Assembly labor exceeds $625,000 — more than every corporate donor combined.

Inferredeach of these regulated companies had business before state or city government; the report characterizes the contributions as investments in a future officeholder, not a legal finding of any quid pro quo.
2018-10 CA-2018DB

Sempra's front door. A Cal-Access filing shows Sempra Energy donating $10,900 to Assembly 2018 — the visible tip of a $794,200 tracked total spread across a dozen intermediary channels (party committees, intermediary PACs, IE vehicles).

Inferredthe report describes the $794,200 as a single coordinated network reaching Gloria's orbit; the individual transfers are documented, the "network" framing is a characterization of the financials, not a legal finding.
2020 cycle SDEC-2020DB

One IE committee. Neighbors for Housing Solutions raises over $1.3M and makes $210,000 in independent expenditures supporting Gloria's mayoral bid. Top IE donors include the LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund $155,000, SD Chamber PAC $99,963, San Diego Works PAC $50,000, Sycuan $85,000, DSDP PAC $20,000.

Inferred connectionSempra is documented giving $25,000 to the LGBT Caucus, $30,000 to the Chamber PAC, $20,000 to SD Works PAC, and $25,000 to DSDP PAC — each of which separately funded pro-Gloria IEs; the upstream-to-downstream "money flow" is an inference from the filings, not a coordination finding.
2020 CA-Mayor

Gloria for Mayor. The mayoral committee raises ≈ $2.16M across 6,307 transactions. Gloria is elected mayor.

2020-2021 DBCA-MayorCA-2018CA-2016UT-DealmakerUT-AshLobbySW-EC603

The fundraiser-lobbyist. Chris Wahl of Southwest Strategies fundraises $160,000+ for Gloria, City Attorney Mara Elliott, and council candidates; donates $6,430 to Gloria for Mayor 2020, plus $2,000 each to Assembly 2018 and Assembly 2016. While raising money, his firm was registered to lobby Gloria's office on the 101 Ash Street settlement; Wahl arranged meetings with Gloria's chief of staff Jamie Fox. Cisterra's related lobbying was filed under "Lexterra" (David Dick law corp), $16,000.

Inferredthe simultaneous fundraising and lobbying is documented; the report frames it as a conflict, not a legal finding — both activities were disclosed.
2021-05 UT-FranchiseOBRag-SempraReader-Sempra

SDG&E franchise vote. Gloria votes to approve SDG&E's new gas-and-electric franchise agreement, the deal setting what the city charges SDG&E to use public rights-of-way. Coverage characterizes Sempra as having "greased the skids" for the approval.

2022 PRN-Palladium

Outside capital. Private-equity firm Palladium Heritage acquires an undisclosed stake in Southwest Strategies.

2023-01 onward UT-2024DBStip23-16

Behested-payment pipeline. Since January 2023, Gloria solicits $450,000+ in behested payments. The largest recipient is SD Together Tackling Homelessness, with $270,000 from seven named donors: Torrey Coast Foundation (linked to Aya Healthcare CEO Alan Braynin) $75,000; Cushman Foundation $50,000; Conrad Prebys Foundation $50,000; Brutten Family Foundation $50,000; Sycuan $25,000; Ace Parking (Keith Jones) $10,000; R&V Management $10,000. Each donor had business before the city; Gloria proclaimed "Travel Nurse Day" for Aya. Some filings were 340, 316, and 679 days late.

Inferredthe proclamation-then-donation and contractor-then-donation sequences are documented; the report states they are sequences, not proven quid pro quos.
2024 cycle SDEC-2024DBCA-Progress

IE spending rises ~10×. Four IE committees spend $2.15M+ for Gloria (vs. $210K in 2020). SD Fairness raises $800,000+ in three weeks (chaired by Stephen Cushman), top donor California Apartment Association $175,000. A Better San Diego spends $450,000, $350,000 of it (78%) from the California Alliance of Family Owned Businesses, a Sacramento McDonald's-franchise trade group. Big City San Diego spends $141,000 (top donor Building a Stronger California / Carpenters $50,000). CA Progress for All spends $131,493 (top donor Asian Business Association Candidate PAC $75,100).

2024-04 Stip23-16UT-2024

The behested fine. SD Ethics Commission Stipulation 23-16 fines Gloria $10,500 for late disclosure of ten Form 803 reports.

2025-09 SW-EC603DBOBRag-GrandJury

Planning Commission approves Midway Rising. The Planning Commission — four of whose members Gloria appointed from the development industry — votes 7-0 to approve the $3 billion Midway Rising project, lobbied by Southwest Strategies. Developer Brad Termini (Zephyr Partners) and family had given $284,400 across IE committees, direct contributions, and labor-coalition funding.

Inferredthe timing and the developer-connected composition of the commission are documented; the report does not assert the vote was unlawful — the Ethics Commission found no conflict on a technicality.
2025-09 UT-Cardenas

Staffer fine. Former Gloria staffer Jesus Cardenas is fined $5,000 — the maximum penalty — for a lobbying-disclosure violation after leaving the mayor's office.

2026-02-23 Globe-BodewellSW-EC603

The rebrand. Southwest Strategies rebrands as the Bodewell Group. The report notes quarterly EC-603 lobbying disclosures are missing during the transition period; clients during those quarters included Midway Rising LLC, Falck, and Crown Castle.

Inferredthe gap in the public lobbying record coinciding with the rebrand is a characterization drawn from the filings, not a finding of concealment.

The three-channel donors (cross-cycle)

The same names recur across direct contributions, IE committees, and behested payments — three legally distinct channels that look unrelated on any single filing.

  • Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation — $230,000+: IE committees ($105,000 to SD Fairness 2024, $85,000 to Neighbors for Housing 2020, $10,000 via Sycuan Citizens PAC) + behested ($25,000 to SD Together, $5,000 to For All of Us). Sycuan operates under state-regulated gaming compacts. DB
  • Stephen Cushman — $975,000+ mobilized across seven roles: IE fundraiser ($900K+ raised for SD Fairness) + IE chair + personal IE donor ($25,000) + behested donor ($50,000 via Cushman Foundation) + city contractor ($24,999 Hope at Vine, one dollar below the $25,000 council threshold) + For All of Us board + Housing Commission appointee; also $2,300 direct to Gloria 2020 and $7,500 to DSDP PAC. Ethics experts called the overlapping roles "a clear conflict of interest." DB
  • Ace Parking — $216,000+ political, while holding nine-figure city contracts: $161,000+ campaign donations since 2006 + $45,000+ IE (including $25,000 corporate + $20,000 from Scott Jones personally to a Barbara Bry IE backing Gloria's opponent) + $10,000 behested to SD Together (Keith Jones named "key leader"). Holds a $29.1M Convention Center garage contract and a $6.1M Balboa Park tram contract.
    Inferredthe report characterizes funding both candidates as a hedge-betting business strategy, not a legal finding. DB Ace-10News
  • SD Regional Chamber of Commerce PAC — $234,963 IE alone: $85,000 to SD Fairness, $50,000 to CA Progress for All, $99,963 to Neighbors for Housing 2020. DB
  • DSDP PAC — $105,000 to pro-Gloria IEs, while DSDP holds ≈ $16M/year in city money: Family Reunification Program contracts $4.79M ($950K + $950K + $2.89M) plus PBID management $11M+/year. Sempra ($25,000) and Stephen Cushman ($7,500) are documented DSDP PAC donors.
    Inferredthe report describes a "loop" (city contracts → PAC donations → re-election → more contracts); the individual flows are documented, the loop is a characterization, not a finding. DB

Channels, in scale

ChannelReported totalLargest single donor / itemCitation
Assembly 2016 direct≈ $748,000CA Service Employees / AFSCME / CREPAC ($34,000 each)CA-2016
Assembly 2018 direct≈ $858,000State Building & Construction Trades / SEIU UHW ($44,000)CA-2018
Mayor 2020 direct≈ $2.16M(6,307 transactions)CA-Mayor
IE spending 2020$210,000Neighbors for Housing SolutionsSDEC-2020
IE spending 2024$2.15M+SD Fairness ($800K+)SDEC-2024
Behested payments (since 2023)$450,000+SD Together ($270K named)UT-2024
Sempra orbit network$794,200Independent Voter PAC ($370,000)DB

Enforcement, in scale

SubjectViolationFineSource
Todd Gloria$293K self-transfer (Part 1)$200(Part 1) Stip23-16
Todd GloriaLate disclosure of 10 Form 803 reports$10,500Stip23-16
Jesus CardenasLobbying disclosure (max penalty)$5,000UT-Cardenas

Total fines against Gloria: $10,700 against more than $6M in tracked political money — roughly $0.0018 per dollar. This is an arithmetic characterization, not a legal finding. Stip23-16

Key players (callback index)

  • Sempra Energy — gas-and-electric monopoly parent; $19,700 direct and $794,200 tracked to Gloria-orbit entities; executive Frank Urtasun chaired the DSDP board while his daughter-in-law held a $127K SVP role there DB.
  • Stephen Cushman — Gloria's chief fundraiser; the seven-role figure ($975K+ mobilized) who raised, chaired, donated, contracted, and sat on two boards DB.
  • Chris Wahl — CEO of Southwest Strategies (now Bodewell Group); fundraised $160K+ for Gloria DB while his firm was registered to lobby Gloria's office UT-Dealmaker UT-AshLobby; firm took private-equity investment in 2022 PRN-Palladium.
  • Gil Cabrera — Gloria appointee; founded For All of Us, the behested-payment nonprofit with no incorporation papers, IRS letter, or bylaws of record, operating under fiscal sponsor Mission Edge DB.
  • Brad & Stefanie Termini — Zephyr Partners / Midway Rising developers; $284,400 across direct, IE, and labor-coalition channels DB; project approved 7-0 by Gloria's Planning Commission DB OBRag-GrandJury.
  • Kelly Moden — Planning Commission chair and cREate Development CEO whose company won the 101 Ash Street redevelopment ($32.7M developer fee) OBRag-GrandJury; the Ethics Commission found no conflict OBRag-GrandJury.
  • Sycuan / SD Chamber PAC / DSDP PAC / Ace Parking — the cross-channel donors above.
  • Diana Palacios (Puetz) — deputy chief of staff → Southwest Strategies → registered to lobby the mayor's office while her husband served as Gloria's chief of staff → SD Padres executive → DSDP board DB.
    Inferredthe report frames the overlapping lobbying-and-family roles as a conflict; the registrations and posts are documented, not a legal finding of any violation.
  • Neal & Linden Blue — General Atomics owners; $553,250 in combined individual federal contributions in the 2023–2024 cycle (regional defense backdrop, not direct Gloria money) FEC-Blue.

Caveats

Read this before quoting any figure
  • What is aggregated vs. itemized. The Sempra $794,200, Sycuan $230,000+, Cushman $975,000+, Ace Parking $216,000+, and the labor $625,000+ totals aggregate legally distinct entities, channels, and cycles compiled from multiple disclosure systems (Cal-Access, SD Ethics Commission, FEC, Form 803). They may not capture every transaction and are not single-filing figures.
  • What is characterization vs. legal finding. "Network," "loop," "pipeline," "hedge-betting," and "conflict of interest" describe the financial and relationship patterns, not legal determinations. No ethics body has ruled the donor relationships unlawful. The Cushman conflict-of-interest characterization is attributed to outside ethics experts (MathPolitics analysis, evidence E-1125) DB.
  • Upstream-to-downstream money flows (e.g. Sempra → intermediary PAC → IE committee) are inferred from the sequence and timing of separately filed transactions, not from any coordination finding.
  • Defense-contractor figures (General Atomics, the Blue brothers) are the regional federal backdrop; that money flowed to federal officeholders around Gloria, not to his campaigns.
  • The "$6 million in the orbit" and "$0.0018 per dollar" figures are aggregations and arithmetic, stated as such.
  • Nothing in this brief is alleged to be illegal. Every channel described is permitted under state and local law.

Reference key

Report #2 · The Gloria Files · condensed AI fact sheet. Chronological; every claim cited; inferences flagged. Source: full report 2-source.md ("The Donors: Who Funds Todd Gloria, What They Want, and How They Get It").

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