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Fourth Quarter 2010 Summary of Earnings and Activity of Campaign Consultants Registered with the City and County of San Francisco – September 1, 2010 through November 30, 2010

English

Jamienne S. Studley, Chairperson
John St. Croix, Executive Director

Report prepared by:
Catherine Argumedo

Date Issued: January 19, 2010

CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT FILINGS

FOURTH QUARTER 2010

I. Introduction

In November 1997, San Francisco voters approved the Regulation of Campaign Consultants Ordinance (“Ordinance”), San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code Sections 1.500-1.540.  The Ordinance requires persons who earn $1,000 or more per year for campaign consultant services to register with the Ethics Commission and file quarterly activity reports. 

The fourth quarter activity reports were due on December 15, 2010 and covered the filing period beginning September 1, 2010 and ending November 30, 2010. 

II. Comparative Data

The level of campaign consultant activity has fluctuated since the first filing in June 1998 (the second quarter of 1998).  The chart on the next page compares data compiled pertaining to campaign consultant activity since implementation of the Ordinance.  As indicated, the level of campaign consultant activity generally increases or decreases depending on 1) whether an election is held and 2) the number and type of local items on the ballot.

Quarter Number of Consultants Total Payments Promised Total Payments Received Total Contributions Made
First Quarter 2003 42 $368,102 $331,328 $3,850
Second Quarter 2003 51 $486,555 $530,434 $3,250
Third Quarter 2003 64 $618,346 $749,332 $2,805
Fourth Quarter 2003 64 $1,112,506 $1,367,183 $10,125
First Quarter 2004 36 $352,837 $243,578 $1,600
Second Quarter 2004 29 $180,947 $136,950 $1,650
Third Quarter 2004 45 $461,739 $405,991 $11,050
Fourth Quarter 2004 55 $620,070 $943,214 $4,786
First Quarter 2005 17 $78,578 $29,762 $1,750
Second Quarter 2005 17 $87,399 $93,085 $250
Third Quarter 2005 20 $160,430 $102,377 $950
Fourth Quarter 2005 23 $256,254 $283,731 $1,150
First Quarter 2006 9 $68,911 $72,654 $1,900
Second Quarter 2006 13 $400,328 $385,303 $1,000
Third Quarter 2006 18 $279,270 $310,077 $4,200
Fourth Quarter 2006 21 $842,765 $617,275 $12,700
First Quarter 2007 14 $115,761 $135,720 $1,200
Second Quarter 2007 16 $227,514 $163,333 N/A
Third Quarter 2007 19 $479,895 $414,496 $69,137
Fourth Quarter 2007 19 $1,262,553 $1,324,139 $35,875
First Quarter 2008 21 $622,255 $830,920 $92,950
Second Quarter 2008 27 $718,486 $1,011,559 $3,750
Third Quarter 2008 40 $862,640 $811,954 $4,843
Fourth Quarter 2008 41 $1,985,420 $3,978,592 $4,830
First Quarter 2009 21 $490,230 $451,730 $1,560
Second Quarter 2009 20 $429,076 $447,804 $3,545
Third Quarter 2009 25 $519,855 $562,206 $2,250
Fourth Quarter 2009 27 $874,076 $880,721 $500
First Quarter 2010 26 $273,847 $348,578 $100
Second Quarter 2010 30 $449,666 $666,692 $3,900
Third Quarter 2010 41 $593,564 $635,782 $3,118
Fourth Quarter 2010 47 $1,575,846 $2,766,813 $1,600

III. The Campaign Consultant Ordinance

The Ordinance defines “campaign consultant” as a person or entity that receives or is promised $1,000 or more in a calendar year for providing either of the following services:

Campaign Management,” defined as conducting, coordinating or supervising a campaign to elect, defeat, retain or recall a local candidate, or to adopt or defeat a local ballot measure, including but not limited to:

  1. Hiring or authorizing the hiring of campaign staff and consultants; or
  2. Spending or authorizing the expenditure of campaign funds; or
  3. Directing, supervising or conducting the solicitation of campaign contributions; or
  4. Selecting or recommending vendors or subvendors of goods or services for the campaign.

OR

Campaign Strategy,” defined as planning for the election, defeat, retention or recall of a local candidate, or for the adoption or defeat of a local ballot measure, including not but limited to:

  1. Producing or authorizing the production of campaign literature and print and broadcast advertising; or
  2. Seeking endorsements of organizations or individuals; or
  3. Seeking financing; or
  4. Advising on public policy positions.

Employees of campaign consultants do not themselves qualify as campaign consultants.  However, persons and entities that subcontract with a campaign consultant to provide campaign consulting services and that receive or are promised $1,000 or more in a calendar year do qualify as campaign consultants.  Similarly, employees of campaigns who engage in campaign management or campaign strategy and are promised or receive $1,000 or more in a calendar year also qualify as campaign consultants.

Campaign consultants are required to report only activity associated with local candidates or local ballot measures.  For purposes of the Ordinance, “candidate” means:  (1) a person who has taken affirmative action to seek nomination or election to local office, or (2) a local officeholder who has taken affirmative action to seek nomination or election to any elective office, or (3) a local officeholder who is the subject of a recall election.

Local officeholder” means the following elected officers:  Mayor, Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, City Attorney, District Attorney, Treasurer, Sheriff, Assessor, Public Defender, Members of the Board of Education of the San Francisco Unified School District, and Members of the Governing Board of the San Francisco Community College District. 

Measure” means a local referendum, or a local ballot measure, whether or not it qualifies for the ballot.

The Commission staff has compiled the information filed by campaign consultants for the third quarter of 2010 in the attached tables.  All amounts reported by campaign consultants have been rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

IV. Description of Quarterly Report Tables

Table 1:  Total Reported Activity (September 1, 2010 – November 30, 2010)

Table 1 summarizes all reported activity by campaign consultants for the fourth quarter of 2010.  Filers are listed in alphabetical order.  The total payments promised by clients and any political contributions or gifts to officeholders made by the filers are also reported.

Consultant Payments Promised By Clients Payments Received From Clients Political Contributions
Berg Davis $25,334 $25,334 $0
Bowman, Christopher L. $0 $0 $0
Brokaw, Brian $34,158 $34,158 $0
Burson-Marsteller $54,605 $0 $0
The California Group $80,094 $27,684 $0
CHADS Media, LLC $2,454 $2,454 $0
Comstock, Doug $0 $0 $0
Crowley, Colleen $9,250 $7,000 $0
Drake, Jen $8,400 $8,400 $0
Erwin & Muir $25,680 $25,680 $0
The Everhart Company $7,000 $7,000 $0
Fox, Jill $0 $2,000 $0
Gaylord, Peter $415 $415 $0
Golinger, Jon $15,000 $15,000 $0
Ground Floor Public Affairs $15,000 $15,000 $0
Hedayat, Yashar unknown unknown unknown
Hildebrand Strategies, Inc. $22,518 $0 $0
Hope Road Consulting, LLC $68,457 $68,457 $0
Hsieh & Associates $37,965 $37,965 $0
Hsieh, Francisco $0 $0 $0
Integrated Fundraising Strategies $10,000 $0 $0
Jaffe Public Strategies $4,000 $4,000 $0
JKW Political Consulting $0 $0 $0
Lee, Christopher/Town Square Consulting $27,811 $11,432 $0
Left Coast Communications $169,717 $98,394 $0
Lester Connect $17,817 $17,817 $0
Lyons, Nichelle $1,611 $1,611 $0
MSHC Partners, Inc. $0 $0 $0
Maravich, Michelle $50,320 $50,320 $0
Mayer, Shane $15,000 $7,500 $0
Mesloh, Debbie $33,884 $33,884 $100
Murry, Geoffrey $12,000 $0 $0
Navigator Sales and Marketing LLC $32,011 $32,011 $0
Jim Ross Political Consulting $388,559 $388,559 $0
Kathleen Russell Consulting $20,300 $30,825 $0
SCN Strategies, Inc. $255,793 $170,793 $0
SGR Consulting $16,000 $16,000 $0
Savage Strategies $25,000 $20,000 $0
Stearns Consulting, Inc. $0 $1,522,104 $0
Storefront Political Media $30,693 $25,707 $0
Taylor, Adam $19,500 $19,500 $0
Terris Barnes & Walters $0 $0 $0
Wells, Nick $12,500 $12,500 $0
Whitehurst Campaigns, Inc. $0 $310 $1,500
Winning Directions $27,000 $27,000 $0
Workman, Dee Dee $0 $0 $0
TOTAL $1,575,846 $2,766,813 $1,600

Table 2:  Client Payment Report

Filers are required to report “economic consideration” promised by or received from clients in exchange for campaign consulting services during the applicable reporting period.  Economic consideration includes payments, fees, commissions, and reimbursements for expenses, gifts or anything else of value. 

Table 2 lists the name of the filer in alphabetical order, the filer’s clients, the services performed for that client, the payment promised by the client in the reporting period, and the payment actually received.  The table also indicates the total payments promised or received by all filers. 

The payments promised by all clients to filers during the fourth quarter totaled $1,575,846.  The payments received by all filers from clients during the fourth quarter totaled $2,766,813.

TABLE 2        
PAYMENTS (Q4 2010)        
CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT CLIENT SERVICES PERFORMED TOTAL PAYMENTS PROMISED TOTAL PAYMENTS RECEIVED
Berg Davis Judge Richard Ulmer Campaign consulting services $25,334 $25,334
Brokaw, Brian Kamala Harris for Attorney General 2010 Campaign management, including hiring and managing staff and developing policy platforms $34,158 $34,158
Burson-Marsteller Standing Up for Working Families Media relations and new media $54,605 $0
The California Group Malia Cohen Campaign management $25,500 $15,500
The California Group San Franciscans for a Better MUNI Campaign management $54,594 $12,184
CHADS Media, LLC Yes on Prop B Pension & Benefits Reform Purchasing of media advertisement space/airtime $2,454 $2,454
Crowley, Colleen Emily Murase for School Board Campaign strategy and management $7,000 $7,000
Crowley, Colleen Theresa Sparks for Supervisor General campaign and field management and consulting $2,250 $0
Drake, Jen Rebecca Prozan for Supervisor Campaign management $8,400 $8,400
Erwin & Muir Carmen Chu for Supervisor 2010 Campaign consulting; direct mail $12,000 $12,000
Erwin & Muir Scott Wiener for Supervisor Campaign consulting; direct mail $13,680 $13,680
Everhart Company, Inc. DeWitt Lacy for Supervisor Campaign consulting services $7,000 $7,000
Fox, Jill Kristine Enea for Supervisor Field campaign design and cooperation $0 $2,000
Gaylord, Peter Kat Anderson for Supervisor 2010 Complete campaign endorsement questionnaires; website consulting; write policy $415 $415
Golinger, Jon San Francisco Labor Council Voter education and outreach $15,000 $15,000
Ground Floor Public Affairs Coalition for Civil Sidewalks Campaign management $15,000 $15,000
Hedayat, Yashar Newsom for California Campaign management unknown unknown
Hildebrand Strategies, Inc. Bevan Dufty for Mayor 2011 Campaign budget development; create and implement messaging, fundraising, and scheduling plans $22,518 $0
Hope Road Consulting, LLC Michael Nava Campaign consulting services $19,911 $19,911
Hope Road Consulting, LLC Rebecca Prozan Campaign consulting services $33,688 $33,688
Hope Road Consulting, LLC Prop D campaign Campaign consulting services $14,859 $14,859
Hsieh & Associates Coalition for Civil Sidewalks, No on M Yes on L Consulting for ballot measure, including strategy, media, and fundraising $37,965 $37,965
Integrated Fundraising Strategies Dennis Herrera for Mayor 2011 Fundraising consulting $10,000 $0
Jaffe Public Strategies Eric Smith Development and production of campaign literature $4,000 $4,000
Lee, Christopher/Town Square Consulting Mark Farrell Campaign management and strategy, media relations, and direct mail development $8,682 $8,682
Lee, Christopher/Town Square Consulting Tony Kelly Campaign consulting and direct mail services $3,845 $1,500
Lee, Christopher/Town Square Consulting Theresa Sparks Campaign consulting; direct mail management and design $15,284 $1,250
Left Coast Communications Jane Kim for Supervisor 2010 General consulting services and management, web design/maintenance, literature design, direct mail, volunteer coordination, data management, media, press work and event scheduling $54,025 $0
Left Coast Communications Hydra Mendoza for School Board 2010 General consulting services and management, web design/maintenance, literature design, volunteer coordination, data management, media, press work and event scheduling $11,069 $7,069
Left Coast Communications Chris Jackson for Supervisor 2010 Campaign consulting services and management, web design/maintenance, literature design, volunteer coordination, data management, TV advertisement, press work and event scheduling $31,685 $31,685
Left Coast Communications Natasha Hoehn for School Board 2010 Consulting services and management, web design/maintenance, literature design, volunteer coordination, data management, TV advertisement, press work and event scheduling $52,329 $39,030
Left Coast Communications San Francisco Rising Consulting, design and printing services, website design, photography $6,500 $6,500
Left Coast Communications Coleman Action Fund Consulting, literature design, printing and mailing services, website $5,777 $5,777
Left Coast Communications San Francisco Young Democrats Field operations and doorhanger design $8,333 $8,333
Lester Connect Rafael Mandelman for Supervisor 2010 Writing, designing, printing walk piece $17,817 $17,817
Lyons, Nichelle Carmen Chu for Supervisor 2010 Fundraising services $1,611 $1,611
Maravich, Michelle Kamala Harris for Attorney General 2010 Campaign fundraising $50,320 $50,320
Mayer, Shane Sweet for Supervisor 2010 Campaign management $15,000 $7,500
Mesloh, Debbie Kamala Harris for Attorney General 2010 Strategic communications counsel, political advice, staffing candidate on campaign travel $33,884 $33,884
Murry, Geoffrey Committee to Elect Bill Hemenger Campaign management, design, precinct walking $12,000 $0
Navigator Sales and Marketing LLC Kat Anderson for Supervisor 2010 Campaign strategy and candidate consulting; materials development; postcard mailings $32,011 $32,011
Jim Ross Political Consulting D10 Forward Political consulting; material development $47,868 $47,868
Jim Ross Political Consulting Economic Recovery SF (PAC) Political consulting; advertising production $340,690 $340,690
Kathleen Russell Consulting Steve Moss for District 10 Supervisor, 2010 Campaign management and consulting, including volunteer coordination and materials development $20,300 $30,825
SCN Strategies, Inc. Kamala Harris for Attorney General 2010 Campaign consulting $175,793 $75,793
SCN Strategies, Inc. Newsom for California Campaign management and strategy $80,000 $95,000
SGR Consulting Gavin Newsom for California Fundraising and fundraising strategy $16,000 $16,000
Savage Strategies Yes on Prop B Pension & Benefits Reform Campaign consulting services $25,000 $20,000
Stearns Consulting Stand Up for SF: No on B, Yes on J, No on K, Yes on N Campaign media and consulting $0 $201,882
Stearns Consulting Teachers, Nurses, MUNI Riders, Neighbors & Working Families Supporting Mandelman for Supervisor 2010; Sponsored by Labor Organizations Campaign media and consulting $0 $125,116
Stearns Consulting Transport Workers Union, Local 250A, AFL-CIO Special Fund Campaign media and consulting $0 $84,856
Stearns Consulting Kim-Shree Maufas Campaign media and consulting $0 $1,050
Stearns Consulting Debra Walker for Supervisor Campaign media and consulting $0 $68,484
Stearns Consulting Stand Up for Working Families; No on B Campaign media and consulting $0 $1,040,716
Storefront Political Media Phil Ting for Assessor Campaign consulting; media production, distribution, and placement $17,340 $9,101
Storefront Political Media David Onek for District Attorney Campaign consulting; media production, distribution, and placement $13,353 $16,605
Taylor, Adam Scott Wiener for Supervisor Campaign management and strategy $19,500 $19,500
Wells, Nick Committee to Elect Abraham Simmons Campaign management, including fundraising, field organization, marketing, and managing campaign staff $12,500 $12,500
Whitehurst Campaigns, Inc. Herrera for Mayor 2011 General campaign management consulting $0 $310
Winning Directions Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth Strategic counsel and political guidance $27,000 $27,000
TOTAL     $1,575,846 $2,766,813

Table 3:  Political Contributions

Filers must report each political contribution of $100 or more to a candidate for local office, a committee controlled by a local officeholder or a candidate for local office, or a ballot measure committee whether or not the committee is controlled by a local officeholder or a candidate for local office.  Filers must report contributions of $100 or more made or delivered by the filer, or made by the filer’s client at the filer’s behest, or for which the filer acted as an agent or intermediary during the reporting period.  This chart indicates the political contributions made by campaign consultants during the reporting period.  Filers reported a total of $3,118 in political contributions during the fourth quarter of 2010.

CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS
Committee  Name  Consultant Name Amount
 Rebecca Prozan for Supervisor 2010  Mesloh, Debbie $100
 Scott Wiener for Supervisor 2010  Whitehurst Campaigns (John Whitehurst) $500
 Malia Cohen for Supervisor 2010  Whitehurst Campaigns (John Whitehurst) $500
 Herrera for Mayor 2011  Whitehurst Campaigns (John Whitehurst) $500
CONTRIBUTIONS OF $100 OR MORE MADE DURING FOURTH QUARTER 2010 $1,600

Vendor/Subvendor Payments

Each filer must report economic consideration promised to or received by the filer during the reporting period from vendors and sub-vendors who provide campaign-related goods or services to the filer’s current clients. 

Jaffe Public Strategies reported being promised and received $629 from Madison Street Press.  Jaffe Public Strategies also reported being promised $315 and receiving $195 from Mary Leigh Henneberry.

Gifts to Local Officeholders

Each filer must report any gifts promised or made by the filer to a local officeholder during the reporting period which in the aggregate total $50 or more.  No filers reported any gifts promised or made to a local officeholder during this reporting period.

Employment of Local Officeholders and City Employees

If the filer employs a local officeholder or City employee during the reporting period, the filer must report the name of the officeholder or City employee and describe the nature of the employment by the filer.  In addition, if a client of the filer employs a local officeholder or City employee at the behest of the filer during the reporting period, the filer must report the name of the client, the name of each officeholder or City employee hired by the client, and the nature of the employment by the client. 

Ground Floor Public Affairs reported that it employs Justin Roja, a Commissioner for the Entertainment Commission, as an Account Executive.

City Contracts Obtained During the Reporting Period

If the filer obtains a City contract during the reporting period and the contract is approved by a local officeholder who is the filer’s client, the filer must report the contract, the date the contract was obtained, and the name of the officeholder who approved the contract.  No filers reported obtaining a City contract during the reporting period.

Appointment to Public Office

If the filer is appointed to public office during the reporting period and the appointment is made by a local officeholder who is the filer’s client, the filer must report the public office to which the filer was appointed, the date of the appointment, and the name of the officeholder who appointed the filer.  No filers reported being appointed to public office by a client during the reporting period.

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