City Council Candidates, PACs File Second Campaign Finance Reports

By Eric Heinz

So far in the 2016 election, Dan Bane and Steve Swartz have raised and spent more than their incumbent counterparts.

The totals reported here include both monetary and nonmonetary contributions.

Steve Swartz has received $31,679.92 and spent $28,566.54 including $10,000 in loans from his company and $9,000 in loans to himself.

Dan Bane has received $31,607.32 and has spent $26,772.85 as of Oct. 22. He has $11,159.40 in outstanding debt in loans he gave to himself.

Mayor Bob Baker, as of Oct. 22, has raised $21,972 and spent $16,145. He has a total of $18,500 in loans including $18,550 in loans he gave to himself.

Councilman Chris Hamm has raised $15,869 and spent $12,389. He received one loan for $360.

Political Action Committees are also raking in a lot of money.

Residents for Reform, which opposes Baker and Hamm, has received $110,276 in total contributions and spent $152,923 on several elections in California.

One of its biggest contributors is a company called Advanced Health E Solutions located in Hemet, California, which gave $25,000 to the committee.

Altogether, Residents for Reform has spent $21,816 to oppose Baker and about the same amount to oppose Chris Hamm.

Residents for Reform has paid Bieber Communications more than $25,000 this year for campaign literature and postage services.

Watchdog for San Clemente, which opposes Dan Bane and Steve Swartz, has raised $10,000 from Jeri Mann and another $1,750 from James and Janice Smith.

Businesses for a Better San Clemente, which has the address of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, has donated almost $5,000 to Steve Swartz and almost $3,000 to Dan Bane.

Businesses for a Better San Clemente has also donated $1,500 to Pat Bates’ and $1,000 to Bill Brough’s campaigns

Citizens for Responsible Leadership put $3,000 to each of the Bane and Swartz campaigns in the filing dated Oct. 28. The PAC has the same address as Residents for Reform in Santa Ana.

The committee has raised $70,750 and spent $44,950 on California elections.

California Real Estate PAC contributed $2,500 to Bane’s and Swartz’s campaigns.

The fifth candidate, Pamela Joy Glass, filed a form 470, which indicates she does not intend to raise or spend more than $2,000 on her campaign. Glass also told the San Clemente Times recently she doesn’t intend to spend “one cent” on her campaign.

The last filings will be due in January.