Special interests fuel my primary
opponent’s campaign

Assembly candidate Das Williams receives 40 percent of his $550,000 from Political Action Committees as tribal casinos, alcohol, oil/gas/energy and insurance interests line up behind him

A “Who’s Who” of powerful special interests moved tons of contributions to Assembly candidate Das Williams during the home stretch before the June 8 primary election – including tribal casinos, who spent a whopping $77,635 to further his campaign.

In order to get around the contribution limits, two casino-funded entities have already spent more than $59,000 on Independent Expenditures above and beyond contributions made directly to Williams. One of the Independent Expenditures for Williams raised money from a Northern California-based oil transportation company to pay for mailers. Ironically, in an attempt to cover up Williams’ support for the controversial Plains Exploration and Production Company (PXP) oil deal, which would be the first new offshore oil drilling lease in state waters in 41 years, the casino interests sent out multiple mailers claiming that he opposed all new offshore drilling.

As expected, clients of the lobbying firm that represents Texas-based oil company PXP contributed more than $10,000 to Williams’ campaign.

On top of that, oil, gas and energy interests – including a company owned by infamous oilman T. Boone Pickens –  contributed $5,000.

Pickens is the oilman who tried to trick California voters with a ballot measure that would have given him $200 million in taxpayer money to build a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in California. Susan Jordan led the successful fight against the dangerous and poorly conceived plan to build an LNG terminal off Oxnard.

Overall, Williams received more than triple the PAC contributions ($220,550) than his 35th District opponent Susan Jordan received.

“Das Williams is raising special-interest money at rates that only fellow PXP proponent Tony Strickland has surpassed in local Legislative races,” said Jordan, referring to the Republican State Senator. “And Das is using all that special-interest money to attempt to convince voters that he opposes all new offshore oil drilling leases.”

“The truth is that Das Williams is joined by Republican Senator Tony Strickland, Republican Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee and 35th District Republican Assembly candidate Mike Stoker in support of the PXP offshore oil drilling deal,” she said.

For more, go to the Secretary of State’s website.