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# Candidates’ cash reports trickle in
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/candidates-cash-reports-trickle-in/
- Published: 2004-10-06T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:15:43.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Contribution reports due again on Oct. 21*

CITY HALL — Fall has arrived in Santa Monica, and with it the political dollars have begun to change hands.

Several hundred thousand dollars will be spent this November in the race to fill four open seats on the Santa Monica City Council, and three seats on both the local school and college boards.

Tuesday was the first of two pre-election deadlines for candidates and political groups to report how much money they’ve raised and from whom, along with how much they’ve spent and on what. The reports were as diverse as the candidates themselves.

Limiting the size of the war chests candidates accrued is a local law that limits campaign contributions to $250.

Kennedy-family descendant and local hedge activist Bobby Shriver raised more than $80,000 in his bid to unseat one of the four City Council incumbents, spending $22,893 and accruing another $74,000 in debts, according to campaign documents filed at City Hall. Shriver also is part of a slate backed by the local chamber of commerce.

Shriver’s contributions came from a wide array of people across the country, including Hollywood players like producer Jerry Bruck-heimer; actor Clint Eastwood; David Geffen of Dreamworks; political players like local City Councilman Herb Katz and U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy; and educators like Santa Monica College President Dr. Piedad F. Robertson and organizing director of the local school district Harry Keiley; (Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles this week covering the campaign contributions for those seeking office in Santa Monica.) as well as several relatives, including parents Eunice and Sargent Shriver, and sister Maria Shriver, wife of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Shriver, who loaned his campaign an additional $25,000, listed tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for consulting and professional services, along with expenditures for election literature and mailings.

City Councilman Mike Feinstein, who failed to win the backing of the powerful Santa Monicans for Renters Rights group and is running as an independent, reported nearly $20,000 in money raised this year and an additional $36,744 loaned by Feinstein to his campaign. So far, Feinstein’s campaign has spent $24,349 this year, according to documents.

Contributing to Feinstein’s campaign were Doris Ganga, an attorney for City Hall’s Rent Control Board; former City Attorney Robert Myers; Jay Fiondella, owner of Chez Jay on Ocean Avenue; Russell Barnard, owner of Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier; Joe Pipersky, owner of three Main Street restaurants; 2002 City Council candidate Josefina Aranda; and local preservationist Nina Fresco, among others.

Key expenses listed by Feinstein included a $20,000 political consultant tab and hundreds of dollars on campaign literature and mailers.

Physician Matteo Dinolfo, also backed by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, reported more than $37,000 in money raised so far, and just over $10,000 spent.

In addition to loaning $16,950 to his campaign from his own personal account and $2,000 raised in small donations, Dinolfo raked in more than $35,000 in contributions of more than $100.

Many of his donors are notable community members, including Klaus Mennekes, general manager of Casa Del Mar; local property rights attorney Tom Larmore; long-time chamber supporter Jean McNeil-Wyner; past chamber president Mike Gruning; Santa Monica College trustee Margaret Quinones and SMC president Robertson.

The $10,000 Dinolfo has spent so far has been used mostly on his Web site, campaign literature and a series of election mailers, including ones entitled “California Voters Guide,” “Parents Ballot Guide,” “Continuing the Republican Revolution,” “Save Prop 13” and “Citizens for Representative Government,” according to Dinolfo’s disclosure forms.

Challenger Patricia Hoffman, a former school board member who won the SMRR endorsement, has raised nearly $8,000 and spent $3,600, according to her disclosure report, which shows Hoffman loaned her campaign an additional $1,500.

Supporting Hoffman with cash contributions were City Councilman Kevin McKeown; SMRR co-founder Dolores Press and Ganga, the rent control board attorney, documents show.

Like Dinolfo, the money Hoffman has spent has gone towards a Web site, campaign literature and election mailings. Hoffman spent $400 and $300, respectively, to appear on mailers entitled “Parents and Teachers for a Better LA” and “Independent Voters League.”

City Councilman Ken Genser, also backed by SMRR, reported just $1,240 in cash raised and another $185 in gifts in the form of postage. Among his cash contributors were the Ocean Lodge Hotel. Among his expenses were $346 for printing election materials. Though Genser’s war chest was relatively small, he will benefit from SMRR backing, meaning his name will appear on a series of mailers sent to residents’ homes.

Former newspaper columnist Bill Bauer reported nearly $4,500 in cash raised so far, and indicated he’s spent about $2,000.

Among the donors Bauer listed were prominent landlord attorney Rosario Perry; commercial real estate agent Barbara Tenzer and a handful of resident activists from north of Montana Avenue to the Pico neighborhood. According to his report, Bauer has spent his money mostly on lawn signs, a newspaper ad, a Web site, and campaign literature and mailings.

Data entry operator Linda Armstrong filed campaign contribution disclosure forms stating she would not be raising money.

Filings are expected to continue to trickle in today. All documents had to be postmarked by Tuesday, but many are often over-nighted or mailed into City Hall, city officials said. Along with candidates, all political committees and organizations that will be spending money on the election must file disclosure reports. For example, the group pushing Measure S, a $135 million bond benefiting SMC, reported more than $160,000 in earnings and nearly $60,000 in expenses, spent mostly on mailers and consultants.

Candidates and political groups must report their campaign contributions again on Oct. 21, the final disclosure date before the Nov. 2 election.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 6, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/100604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)