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

Covid-19 hits San Diego political rainmakers

General Atomics’ Blue brothers shun Trump money-giving

The president criticized General Atomics' costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The president criticized General Atomics' costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the USS Gerald R. Ford.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a bite out of San Diego's financial contribution to national politics, per the latest raw numbers posted online by the Federal Election Commission.

From May 1 through May 20, those with addresses in three of the county's biggest-giving areas, including the city of San Diego, La Jolla, and Rancho Santa Fe, forked over just $16,566 to federal campaign committees.

Valerie and Harry Cooper depicted on the Museum of Contemporary Art website (Monte Carlo night).

At the top of the list of beneficiaries during the three weeks was David Perdue for Senate, the campaign fund of the incumbent Republican from Georgia, with $7600.

General Atomics co-owner James Neal Blue gave Perdue $5600 on May 12, and the Anesthesia Service Medical Group Advocacy Fund came up with $2000 on May 20.

Though Republican giving predominated in May, local Democrats anted up more significantly than Republicans over the previous four months from January 1 through April 30, FEC figures show,

Sponsored
Sponsored

Most of the money went through the online Democratic fundraising site ActBlue, which collected $3.55 million, representing about 62 percent of the $5.8 million raised in the county's top fundraising zones from January to April.

Second and third places were held by two committees backing the president's reelection: Donald J. Trump for President, which got $322,855, or 5.6 percent of the total, and Trump Victory, which picked up $263,658, or 4.57 percent.

In seventh place was Trump's Make America Great Again Committee, pulling in $118,863, about two percent. Combined, Trump backers collected $705,376.

Harry Cooper, uncle of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper – a frequent presidential critic who is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt and author Wyatt Cooper – gave the Trump committees a total of $23,700 on February 10, as did Cooper's wife Valerie.

Ted Giannoulas when he was the KGB Chicken

The same day, Ted Giannoulas, otherwise known as the San Diego Chicken, gave Team Trump $22,400. Steve Bannon, an early Trump booster, has known Giannoulas for years, according to an October, 2017 NPR account.

In 1993, Bannon's brother Chris produced a 30-minute San Diego Chicken highlight reel for the brothers' company, Bannon Film Industries, which eventually went on to make the anti-Hillary Clinton film Clinton Cash.

"Ultimately our goal is to build a Barney-the-dinosaur-like industry," Chris said in 1993 regarding the Giannoulas project.

"This video is really just the gateway event into The Chicken industry, as silly as it sounds." Queried by NPR in 2017, Giannoulas responded by email: "Thanks for the interest, but I don't have anything to add to your story."

On February 19, Trump held a lavish fundraiser at the Rancho Mirage estate of high-tech billionaire Larry Ellison.

A notable Trump non-donor in the opening four months of 2020 was San Diego's single biggest giver to Republican causes. James Neal Blue, CEO of La Jolla military contractor General Atomics, kicked in a total of $328,710 through April.

$100,000 of Blue's money went to the Senate Leadership Fund, and the same amount to the Congressional Leadership Fund. Each touts itself as an independent super PAC devoted to backing Republican candidates.

The president has not endeared himself to Blue and his brother, General Atomics co-owner Linden by being critical of their company's costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the $12.8 billion aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

"You are going [back] to goddamned steam; the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money, and it's no good." Trump told Navy officials in a May 2017 attack on the controversial system.

The Navy stuck with the program and now says the Ford has 3,000 successful catapult launches and landings under its belt, according to a June 4 report by Sea Power Magazine.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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

Classical Classical at The San Diego Symphony Orchestra

A concert I didn't know I needed
The president criticized General Atomics' costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The president criticized General Atomics' costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the USS Gerald R. Ford.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a bite out of San Diego's financial contribution to national politics, per the latest raw numbers posted online by the Federal Election Commission.

From May 1 through May 20, those with addresses in three of the county's biggest-giving areas, including the city of San Diego, La Jolla, and Rancho Santa Fe, forked over just $16,566 to federal campaign committees.

Valerie and Harry Cooper depicted on the Museum of Contemporary Art website (Monte Carlo night).

At the top of the list of beneficiaries during the three weeks was David Perdue for Senate, the campaign fund of the incumbent Republican from Georgia, with $7600.

General Atomics co-owner James Neal Blue gave Perdue $5600 on May 12, and the Anesthesia Service Medical Group Advocacy Fund came up with $2000 on May 20.

Though Republican giving predominated in May, local Democrats anted up more significantly than Republicans over the previous four months from January 1 through April 30, FEC figures show,

Sponsored
Sponsored

Most of the money went through the online Democratic fundraising site ActBlue, which collected $3.55 million, representing about 62 percent of the $5.8 million raised in the county's top fundraising zones from January to April.

Second and third places were held by two committees backing the president's reelection: Donald J. Trump for President, which got $322,855, or 5.6 percent of the total, and Trump Victory, which picked up $263,658, or 4.57 percent.

In seventh place was Trump's Make America Great Again Committee, pulling in $118,863, about two percent. Combined, Trump backers collected $705,376.

Harry Cooper, uncle of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper – a frequent presidential critic who is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt and author Wyatt Cooper – gave the Trump committees a total of $23,700 on February 10, as did Cooper's wife Valerie.

Ted Giannoulas when he was the KGB Chicken

The same day, Ted Giannoulas, otherwise known as the San Diego Chicken, gave Team Trump $22,400. Steve Bannon, an early Trump booster, has known Giannoulas for years, according to an October, 2017 NPR account.

In 1993, Bannon's brother Chris produced a 30-minute San Diego Chicken highlight reel for the brothers' company, Bannon Film Industries, which eventually went on to make the anti-Hillary Clinton film Clinton Cash.

"Ultimately our goal is to build a Barney-the-dinosaur-like industry," Chris said in 1993 regarding the Giannoulas project.

"This video is really just the gateway event into The Chicken industry, as silly as it sounds." Queried by NPR in 2017, Giannoulas responded by email: "Thanks for the interest, but I don't have anything to add to your story."

On February 19, Trump held a lavish fundraiser at the Rancho Mirage estate of high-tech billionaire Larry Ellison.

A notable Trump non-donor in the opening four months of 2020 was San Diego's single biggest giver to Republican causes. James Neal Blue, CEO of La Jolla military contractor General Atomics, kicked in a total of $328,710 through April.

$100,000 of Blue's money went to the Senate Leadership Fund, and the same amount to the Congressional Leadership Fund. Each touts itself as an independent super PAC devoted to backing Republican candidates.

The president has not endeared himself to Blue and his brother, General Atomics co-owner Linden by being critical of their company's costly electromagnetic catapult, featured on the $12.8 billion aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

"You are going [back] to goddamned steam; the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money, and it's no good." Trump told Navy officials in a May 2017 attack on the controversial system.

The Navy stuck with the program and now says the Ford has 3,000 successful catapult launches and landings under its belt, according to a June 4 report by Sea Power Magazine.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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

Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"
Next Article

Drinking Sudden Death on All Saint’s Day in Quixote’s church-themed interior

Seeking solace, spiritual and otherwise
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
June 9, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
June 10, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
June 13, 2020
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