There are no campaign contribution limits for City Council candidates in Fullerton. Candidates can accept contributions from an individual, a political committee, a business entity, political party, or small contributor committee. Contributors do not have to reside in a candidate’s council district and if elected, a council member is not required to recuse themselves if an issue comes before them that may affect the donor financially or otherwise.

Voters can see who is contributing to a City Council candidate and how much they contributed by looking at the Campaign Finance forms the candidates file with the local elections official, the Fullerton City Clerk. The Clerk makes filings public within 2 days of receiving them at the Fullerton City Clerk’s Office or online at HERE.

Candidates whose campaign committee were formed prior to July 1 have filed a semi-annual Form 460 that covers the first half of 2020, up to July 1. The first pre-election campaign finance filing for contributions received between July 1 and September 14 will be available for the public to view by September 24 for all candidates who plan to raise or spend $2,000 or more.

District 1

District 1 candidates Andrew Cho and Fred Jung both opened their committees after July 1 so neither has filed a semi-annual Form 460. However, both have filed a few Form 497s for contributions of $1,000 or more from a single source. Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Andrew Cho reports receiving $2,000 from a real estate broker, $1,000 from the president of Nina’s Fashion, and $2,899 from the Lincoln Club.

Fullerton Bears Football League Founder and Coach Fred Jung has reported $2,500 from Vargas Tree Service, $2,500 from the CEO of Organix Tree Debris, $1,000 from an owner of Matador Cantina, $1,000 from the CEO of the Lounge Group, and $1,000 from the campaign of Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly 2020.

District 2

There are 4 candidates in District 2, but only two have raised funds. One candidate, Asylum Officer Mackenzie Chang, is not soliciting funds. He filed a Form 470 stating that he will not be raising or spending more than $2,000. However, Chuck Sargeant, owner of M Park Maintenance, initiated his campaign committee in August 2019 but has not yet reported raising $2,000 to qualify as a committee.

Of the other 2 candidates running in District 2, Nick Dunlap, opened his campaign in January 2019 raising $40,000 that year and nearly $20,00 in the first half of 2020. Dunlap is a Sr. VP of Avanath, an investment firm that buys, renovates, and owns affordable housing. Most recently, he has filed one 497 for a $4,335 contribution from the Lincoln Club.

Neurologist Dr. Faisal Qazi opened his campaign on July 31 and has not filed a semi-annual 460 report, but has filed one 497 with a $1,000 contribution from the campaign of Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly 2020, $500 from a physician, and $1,000 from the president of Dana Investment Corp.

District 4

District 4 candidates includes 2 elected officials, Bruce Whitaker who is currently serving his 10th year as an at-large council member, and Aaruni Thakur, Area 1 Trustee for the Fullerton School District.

Bruce Whitaker has raised $1,800 since he re-designated his campaign at the end of 2018 to run in District 4. Recently he reported an additional $1,868 from former Fullerton School Board Trustee Chris Thompson.

Aaruni Thakur‘s campaign qualified on July 1. Since then he has filed 6 Form 497s beginning with his own $5,000 loan to his campaign. Subsequent filings show $1,000 from Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly 2020, $2,000 from the CFO of Nibbi, $1,000 from the owner of Todd Olivas and Associates, $1,500 from a surgeon, $1,500 from an investor, and $1,000 from a retiree.