Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Rove-linked dark money backs DeMaio

TV costs head for record in big-money battle over 52nd district House seat.

Karl Rove is a founder and adviser to American Crossroads and its nonprofit spin-off group, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies.
Karl Rove is a founder and adviser to American Crossroads and its nonprofit spin-off group, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies.

The 52nd district battle between freshman Democratic congressman Scott Peters and Republican ex-city councilman Carl Demaio, already one of the nation's costliest House races, has just gotten even pricier with the arrival of Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, a so-called dark money group masterminded by Karl Rove, former political guru to ex-president George W. Bush.

The nonprofit committee paid $69,475 for 76 30-second spots to be run by NBC affiliate KNSD over seven days beginning August 18, according to an August 14 disclosure report posted online by the Federal Communications Commission.

Crossroads has also made inquiries at KFMB, owned by wealthy DeMaio backer Elisabeth Kimmel of La Jolla, but a list of purchases has not yet been posted.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"Presiding over Washington’s dysfunctional political culture is President Obama, who enjoys picking fights and giving speeches, but seems uninterested in simply building consensus around practical solutions," says a blurb on the Crossroads GPS website.

"We use every available means — from TV ads to constituent letters — to help educate busy people and urge our leaders to take action on this commonsense punch-list for positive change."

Crossroads GPS is incorporated as a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. Under the Supreme Court's January 2010 Citizens United decision, the group is is allowed to spend freely in candidate races without disclosing its donors.

According to FactCheck.org, run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, "analysis of the group’s 2012 tax returns found 50 anonymous contributions of more than $1 million, including one of $22.5 million."

As previously reported here in June, the 52nd district's battle of the super rich also includes liberal New York City denizen James Simons of Manhattan, known as the "Quant King" for making millions on Wall Street.

He's provided the biggest chunk of money to the Democrats' House Majority political action committee. "As the super PAC focused on holding Republicans accountable and helping Democrats win seats in the House, House Majority PAC combines innovative new approaches with time-tested strategies to do battle with Republican outside groups and make a difference," the group says on its website.

House Majority's initial buy of 181 spots on KFMB totaled $155,595.

Last month, Patriot Majority PAC, run by Craig Varoga a former aide to Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, also weighed in.

The committee paid $27,900 for 58 30-second spots on Scripps-owned KGTV, FCC filings show.

Then there was the Koch-linked Americans for Prosperity PAC, which reportedly paid $145,000 for anti-Peters cable TV ads here in February, according to Politico.

The Republican and Democratic national congressional campaign committees have also joined the fray, leading local political observers to predict that the contest will set new records for special interest spending.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

3 Tips for Creating a Cozy and Inviting Living Room in San Diego

Next Article

Hike off those holiday calories, Poinsettias are peaking

Winter Solstice is here and what is winter?
Karl Rove is a founder and adviser to American Crossroads and its nonprofit spin-off group, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies.
Karl Rove is a founder and adviser to American Crossroads and its nonprofit spin-off group, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies.

The 52nd district battle between freshman Democratic congressman Scott Peters and Republican ex-city councilman Carl Demaio, already one of the nation's costliest House races, has just gotten even pricier with the arrival of Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, a so-called dark money group masterminded by Karl Rove, former political guru to ex-president George W. Bush.

The nonprofit committee paid $69,475 for 76 30-second spots to be run by NBC affiliate KNSD over seven days beginning August 18, according to an August 14 disclosure report posted online by the Federal Communications Commission.

Crossroads has also made inquiries at KFMB, owned by wealthy DeMaio backer Elisabeth Kimmel of La Jolla, but a list of purchases has not yet been posted.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"Presiding over Washington’s dysfunctional political culture is President Obama, who enjoys picking fights and giving speeches, but seems uninterested in simply building consensus around practical solutions," says a blurb on the Crossroads GPS website.

"We use every available means — from TV ads to constituent letters — to help educate busy people and urge our leaders to take action on this commonsense punch-list for positive change."

Crossroads GPS is incorporated as a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. Under the Supreme Court's January 2010 Citizens United decision, the group is is allowed to spend freely in candidate races without disclosing its donors.

According to FactCheck.org, run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, "analysis of the group’s 2012 tax returns found 50 anonymous contributions of more than $1 million, including one of $22.5 million."

As previously reported here in June, the 52nd district's battle of the super rich also includes liberal New York City denizen James Simons of Manhattan, known as the "Quant King" for making millions on Wall Street.

He's provided the biggest chunk of money to the Democrats' House Majority political action committee. "As the super PAC focused on holding Republicans accountable and helping Democrats win seats in the House, House Majority PAC combines innovative new approaches with time-tested strategies to do battle with Republican outside groups and make a difference," the group says on its website.

House Majority's initial buy of 181 spots on KFMB totaled $155,595.

Last month, Patriot Majority PAC, run by Craig Varoga a former aide to Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, also weighed in.

The committee paid $27,900 for 58 30-second spots on Scripps-owned KGTV, FCC filings show.

Then there was the Koch-linked Americans for Prosperity PAC, which reportedly paid $145,000 for anti-Peters cable TV ads here in February, according to Politico.

The Republican and Democratic national congressional campaign committees have also joined the fray, leading local political observers to predict that the contest will set new records for special interest spending.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Next Article

San Diego beaches not that nice to dogs

Bacteria and seawater itself not that great
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader