Nathan Fletcher and his supportive committees have some ‘splaining to do.
On Sunday, center-left blog San Diego Politico alleged a potential ethics violation committed by Nathan Fletcher for Mayor and his supportive “Restoring Trust in San Diego – A Committee to Support Nathan Fletcher for Mayor 2013… with major funding by Dr. Irwin Jacobs and Joan Jacobs” over a TV ad that was rumored to have been produced by the candidate and reproduced to include the “Restoring Trust” disclaimer. Stay tuned viewers…
On a related “Restoring Trust” committee disclaimer front, let’s turn to its controversial mailers.
The “Restoring Trust” committee sent out a hit piece attacking Fletcher’s opponents, Councilmen David Alvarez and Kevin Faulconer, and the media scrutinized the mailers and Fletcher’s about-face on his promise to denounce any supporters who resorted to negative campaigning.
Soon after, the “Restoring Trust” committee moved $150,000 into another pro-Fletcher Independent Expenditure Committee, “Neighborhoods for Nathan Fletcher for Mayor 2013.” No doubt a welcome infusion for the “Neighborhoods” committee and its paltry prior $65,000 cash on hand.
One theory might point to disclosures.
The “Neighborhoods” committee only required the funding committee name in the disclaimer and not the personal funding disclosure – “with major funding by Dr. Irwin Jacobs and Joan Jacobs.” The committee thereby buries its financial complicity in the complicated filings with the City Clerk’s office.
Since then, the committee pumped out $146,000 in mail with $112,996 specifically notated as “hit pieces” against against Alvarez and Faulconer.
And wouldn’t you know it, the very day Jacobs fired off that letter to every media outlet in town, his parents were dropping $37,000 each into the “Restoring Trust” committee.
Despite all the dirty politics, Fletcher is in a dead heat with Alvarez for second in the latest polls after solidly leading the entire field just weeks ago.