Hollywood money begins to flow into committee backing Karen Bass in mayor’s race

Billionaire Rick Caruso has already put hundreds of thousands of {dollars} towards tv adverts, and is predicted to vastly outspend his opponents within the Los Angeles mayor’s race.

However supporters of Rep. Karen Bass have launched an impartial expenditure committee to assist the longtime officeholder compete with Caruso’s wealth.

The newly shaped committee reported elevating practically $270,000 within the final two weeks, in accordance with disclosure varieties filed with the Metropolis Ethics Fee. This group was integrated final month and is named Communities United for Bass for LA Mayor 2022.

That complete included $125,000 every from Hollywood producer-director J.J. Abrams and his spouse, Dangerous Robotic Productions co-CEO Katie McGrath, in accordance with disclosure filings.

Beginning 90 days earlier than an election, campaigns and impartial committees are required to file disclosures of donations over $1,000 inside 24 hours of receiving them. The election is June 7.

The committee can be receiving help from DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, a longtime Bass backer who has dedicated to giving at the least $250,000, in accordance with sources conversant in the matter, although his contribution has not but appeared in public filings. Katzenberg and a few of his key advisors are additionally serving to make calls to potential donors, the sources stated. A Katzenberg consultant declined to remark.

Unbiased expenditure committees are prohibited from coordinating with campaigns. Donors to impartial expenditure committees aren’t sure by the $1,500 restrict for citywide races, and can provide as a lot as they want.

Abrams and McGrath are longtime Democratic donors who even have given extensively to charitable causes, together with the Neighborhood Coalition, which Bass helped discovered and ran earlier than working for the state Meeting. In 2015, they hosted a fundraiser for Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who had additionally led the Neighborhood Coalition and is now a key supporter of Bass.

A consultant of McGrath and Abrams declined to remark. The expenditure committee’s chair, Morgan Miller, didn’t reply to a request for remark.

“We’re a various coalition of voters devoted to electing Karen Bass as our subsequent mayor,” the committee stated in a press release. “We’re dedicated to creating Los Angeles a greater place for all and firmly consider this workplace can’t be purchased by anybody.”

(In a press release, Caruso senior marketing campaign advisor Lex Olbrei stated: “It’s not stunning that particular curiosity politicians who’ve raised hundreds of thousands from company pursuits are being propped up by a particular curiosity Washington, D.C., tremendous PAC.”)

Abrams and McGrath have been among the many individuals working in Hollywood who gave on to Bass’ marketing campaign, which raised practically $2 million final 12 months after she acquired into the race in September. They included actors Felicity Huffman, Donald Glover and Jennifer Garner — together with Katzenberg, who has lately grow to be extra politically engaged on homelessness points, and his spouse, Marilyn.

Metropolis Councilman Kevin de León’s mayoral bid can be receiving help from an impartial expenditure committee, which is being funded by a neighborhood union, and has raised $250,000 to again the previous state senator and a number of other candidates for Metropolis Council. This committee final week reported spending round $35,000 to distribute mailers in help of de León.

Additionally final week, the Ethics Fee stated Caruso had already “made or incurred bills” for his marketing campaign that exceed $3.3 million. In consequence, different candidates, most of whom have agreed to just accept public matching funds for his or her campaigns, will likely be permitted to spend larger quantities than beforehand allowed.

Katzenberg has been a serious participant in nationwide Democratic politics for years, giving closely to the likes of Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Contribution data present that Katzenberg additionally has been giving regionally, donating $50,000 in 2017 to the marketing campaign for Measure H, which raised taxes to pay for social companies that assist Los Angeles County’s homeless inhabitants.

A 12 months earlier, he contributed $100,000 to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s marketing campaign for Measure M, the half-cent gross sales tax to help public transit and transportation applications.

In 2013, Katzenberg put greater than $101,000 into the trouble to elect Wendy Greuel — who labored with him at DreamWorks — as mayor.

Final summer season, Katzenberg met with quite a few native elected officers and aides who work on homelessness coverage within the run-up to a vote to impose new anti-camping guidelines, which might enable town to take away encampments which might be close to key public amenities, similar to libraries and homeless shelters, as soon as presents of housing have been made.