Follow the Money: Who Do Fullerton City Council Members Represent?

By Staff on September 16, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Note: The next Council election is in November 2024, when representatives for Districts 1, 2, and 4 will be selected by voters. District 4 Councilmember Bruce Whitaker, who first took office in 2010, is termed out in 2024. Councilmembers Nick Dunlap (District 2) and Fred Jung (District 1), who both took office in 2020, will serve through 2024 and can run for re-election. The only other candidate who has formed a 2024 election committee is Jesus Silva – so contributions to his past campaigns are included below. (District 5 incumbent Councilmember Ahmad Zahra and newly elected District 3 Councilmember Shana Charles, who won in 2022, will serve through 2026.)

The documentation below is from the candidate’s required campaign finance form filings available in the “Elections” section on the City of Fullerton website.

Fred Jung

Owner/Director of Fullerton Jr. All American won his 2020 City Council election and has formed a 2024 committee.

2024 election 460 filings: Jung for city council 2024 committee ID 1455417 (Jane Rands, treasurer)

$7,932: (transfer from his former campaign committee Jung for Fullerton City Council 2020 ID 1427666)
$5,500: Asian Pacific Islanders for Progress ID 1440706, Irvine;
$4,900: Anthony Bushala; George Bushala; Commonwealth Fuel Inc; Irvine Company, Newport Beach; Jake Sejin Oh, CEO LinkOne; Luxurros Inc/J’s Korean Cuisine; Hyun Lee, Cerritos;
$4,000-$4,500: Jennifer Hyekyoung Kim (CEO MetaBiz Inc, Buena Park; Ayeong Cho (Need Care GM), Buena Park; Hyun Lee, Cerritos;
$3,000: Galaxy Oil;
$2,500: Angeles Contractor Inc, City of Industry; Be the best Corp, dba 8 Eighty-Eight Cigar Lounge; Hyung-Joon Sim (Innoarc architect); Newport Partners, Irvine;
$1,500: Falk Mobile Health Corp (dba Care Ambulance), Orange; Gary Du (owner DapperDu Inc), Fountain Valley; Jonathan Zee, Tustin; Sigma Petroleum Inc, dba Anthem Oil, Orange;
$1,000: CA Apartment Assoc. ID 745208, Sacramento; Tom Carpenter, Frontier Real Estate Investments, San Juan Capistrano; Oscar Valadez (JVC Inc Director); 10/40 Window Inc, Malibu; Townsend Public Affairs Inc (lobbyist); LE03-a Win Management Inc, Arizona; Shelly Eum;

2020 election 460 filings: Jung for City Council 2020 committee ID 1427666 (Jane Rands, treasurer; Campaign Consultants Arnel Dino, $2,000; and Jose Trinidad Castenada, $8,500)

$10,856: Loan to self (which he paid back $5000)
$5,000: William Iguchi, Arizona; $3000: George Bushala
$2,500: Gilberto Vargas, Vargus Tree Service; Edward Long, president Organix Recycling; OCEA PAC ID 801447;
$2,000: Fullerton Police Assoc PAC ID 943753; OC Employees Assoc ID 1291884; Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly;
$1,500: UA Plumber & Steamfitters Local #582 PAC ID 890440
$1,000: Jane Rands; Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters ID 80169; Pacific Trial Attorneys, Newport Beach; Artemio Dizon, owner of Rosart Home (assisted living) Anaheim; Charles Hallstrom, owner Matador Cantina; Mario Marovic, owner of Lounge Group; UFCW 324 ID 1306048

Nicolas Dunlap

Senior Vice President, Property Management won his 2020 City Council election and has formed a 2024 committee.

2024 election 460 filings:

Dunlap for City Council 2024 committee ID 1458610 (Jen Slater, treasurer) Dunlap’s most recent 460 filing 7/31/2023 terminates his former 2020 committee ID 1415379 and lists $0 in contributions received except for one from himself to his campaign of $700 made 6/30/2023)

2020 election 460 filings

Dunlap for City Council 2020 committee ID 1415379

$12,465: payment from Nick Dunlap for printing, receptions, envelopes
$10,000: in loans from self, forgiven
$5,000: CREPAC (California Real Estate Political Action Committee) ID 8901061
$4,335: Lincoln Club of OC Slate PAC ID 970861 of Irvine paid for slate mailers
$3,000: Tony Bushala (Bushala Brothers Inc)
$2,500: Apartment Assoc of OC PAC ID 980470, Santa Ana;
$2,000: George Bushala (Bushala Brothers Inc); John R. Saunders (owner Rancho La Paz Mobile Home Park); Western Manufactured Housing Communities Assoc PAC 742422; Manufactured Housing Education Trust PAC ID 8201651
$1,000: NOC Chamber PAC ID 13996071, Irvine; Fullerton Police Officers Assoc PAC ID; Richard Jasminski, Long Beach; Intracorp SW – Brad Perozzi, Newport Beach, Tustin; Dunlap Real Estate Investments Inc; Rick Roshan (Pacific Coast Management), Newport Beach; John Tomlinson Property Management, Capistrano Beach; Balcom Park Apartments; Raymond P. Maggi. (Property manager MPMS Inc) Anaheim; Parkside Apartments; Adam Agathakis (consultant), San Clemente; Rick Roshan (Bona Fide Mortgage Inc), Irvine; Apartment Assoc of OC PAC ID 980470, Santa Ana; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, LA; 421-unit Uptown Fullerton Apartments; William R. Mitchell Inc, (attorney) Irvine; Contractor Julian Leonard of Dana Point; Care Ambulance Inc, Orange; Brijesh Patel (Alliance Funding Group); CA Apartment Assoc PAC ID 754208;

Jesus Silva

Jesus Silva, a Fullerton School teacher, was first elected to council in 2016 and won re-election as District 3 representative in 2018 after new Districts were formed. He lost his seat in 2020 after new re-redistricting lines put his residence in District 2. The majority of his contributions for all elections came from small individual residents. He plans to run for District 2 Council seat in 2024 but has declared no new contributions yet, so the largest amounts of his previous campaign contributions from 2016-2018 are presented below:

Previous election, 460 filings: Jesus J. Silva for Fullerton City Council 2024 committee ID 1386939 (Joana Barcelona & Tammi McIntyre, treasurer) (Andrew Martelle, treasurer 2018/ Luis Silva, treasurer 2016)

$5,000 & $2,500: Gabriel Garcia (Core Investments administrator/Job Source CEO)
$4,000: Transfer to 2018 campaign from Jesus Silva for Fullerton City Council 2016
$2,500: SoCal Pipe Trades District Council PAC ID 760715; Adan Ortega (Ortega Strategies);
$2,000: SoCal Edison; Rendon for Assembly 2018 ID 1393414; Chris Townsend (city lobbyist);
$1,900: George Bushala
$1,500: Anthony Bushala; Scott Hamilton (educator Notre Dame HS);
$1,250: Pat Mahoney (West Coast Arborists owner);
$1,000: International Union of Operating Engineers ID 743030; Laborers International Union of North America Local 652 ID 721519706; Jackie Cisneros (VP Cisneros Foundation); Lloyd Davies LLC; Andrew Thorburn; OC Employees Assoc. PAC ID 801447; Fullerton Police Officers Assoc.; Michelle Townsend; UFCW Local PAC ID 1306048; Lorena Gonzales for State Assembly 2016 ID 1373566; Ryan Farsai, Newport Beach; Ahmed Hassan, Walnut; Salma Bushala-Hamud, Yorba Linda; Ryan Ogolnik (R20 Development. LLC); Salem Omar (Super 8 Gas Corp); Fullerton Firefighters Assoc.

Bruce Whitaker

District 4 Councilmember Bruce Whitaker was first elected in 2010, was re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020, and is termed out in 2024. He was a former assistant to former OC Supervisor Chris Norby. Below are his major contributors:

2020 election 460 filings: Elect Bruce Whitaker to Fullerton City Council 2020 committee ID 1330388 (Linda Whitaker, treasurer)

$13,616: transfer from “Bruce Whitaker for Senate 2018” committee ID 1398495 (in an unsuccessful bid for Senate District 29). In that race, his largest contributors were $4,400: Morlach for Senate; $3,000: JP23 Hospitality; Roseville Fullerton Burton Holdings LLC; $ 2,500-$2,000 Building Industry Assoc. OC; Marc Ang (Mangus Finance); Pacific Community Credit Union; $1,000: Anthony Bushala; Ray Patel (Welcome Inn): ANB Properties (Bushala); Conrad & Camille DeWitte (CD Realty Services); Henry Xie (Grand Inn Hotel); Peter Gambino (IDS Group); Kevin Pendergraft (Pacific Credit Union); Philip Anthony, (a director of OCWD); Bourbon Street

$3,000: Apartment Assoc of OC PAC ID 980470
$2,000: Manufactured Housing PAC 820165; David Jerome (Real estate investor); Ahmed Hassan, (owner H&S Energy Inc, City of Industry), Walnut; Western Manufactured Housing Assoc. ID 742422;
$1,868: Chris Thompson (paid for slate mailers)
$1,500: Henry Xie (owner of Grand Inn Hotel);
$1,000: John Saunders (owner Rancho La Paz Mobile Home Park); JP23 Hospitality Co.; CA Real Estate Political Action Committee CREPAC ID 890106; CA Apartment Assoc PAC ID 74208; Mesa Management, Newport Beach; CA Apartment Owners Assoc PAC ID 745208; Kevin Pendergraft; D&M Auto Sales, Santa Ana

Councilmembers Dr. Ahmad Zahra (incumbent) and Dr. Shana Charles (newly elected) both won their seats in 2022 and will be eligible to run again in 2026.

Dr. Shana Charles

Charles, a CSUF Associate Professor of Public Health, won her 2022 City Council election and will represent District 3 through 2026. The majority of her contributors are local individuals contributing $500 or less. Although she is not running in 2024, we present her larger contributors below.

2022 election 460 filings: Charles for City Council 2022 committee ID 148501 (Andrew Martelle, treasurer)

$4,900: Fullerton Firefighters Assoc PAC ID 921657;
$1,500: Build the Bench PAC ID 1423803;
$1,000: Loan to self; UFCW 324 ID 1306048; District Council of Ironworkers ID 831693; Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Workers Local Union 105 ID 962809; OC Employees Assoc PAC ID 801477; UU Roofers, Waterproofers, & Allied Workers ID 850568; Ben Alex ( Gates Foundation Deputy Dir of Finance); Neil Alex (Kaiser Permanente doctor)

Dr. Ahmad Zahra

Zahra, owner of Zahra Pictures LLC, a film production company, won his first term in 2018. He won his re-election in 2022 and will represent District 5 through 2026. The majority of his contributors are local individuals contributing $500 or less. Although he is not running in 2024, we present his larger contributors below.

2022 election 460 filings: Zahra for City Council 2022 committee ID 136977 (Tammi McIntyre & Joanna Barcelona, treasurer)

$5,400: OC Employees Assoc ID 801447
$4,900: Fullerton Firefighters Assoc PAC ID 921657; Fullerton Police Officers Assoc PAC ID 943753;
$4,500: Adan Ortega (Ortega Strategies); Kamal Zafar (owner Petrocal Fule Inc)
$4,350: Mohammad Malas (president of Dana Investment Corp)
$4,000: Building a Stronger California sponsored by SW Regional Council of Carpenters ID 870169; SoCal Edison;
$3,700: PJ MacAllan, MA; Caroline Jones (CSUF Healthy Families Center director)
$3,500: NIMEH, Fullerton;
$3,000: United Food & Commercial Workers Local 324 ID 1306048;
$2,500: Faisal Qazi (physician who ran for D2 council seat)
$2,000: National Union of Healthcare Workers Candidates Committee for Quality Patient Care ID 1318200; 314 Action Victory Fund ID 1419563; Kamal Zafer (owner Petrocal Fuel Inc; Deborah Mansuri (owner Tubular Specialties; Sana Khan (physician); Rubina Chaudhary (MARRS Services Inc)
$1,500: Marketing in Time; International Union of Operating Engineers ID 743030; UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 582 PAC ID 890440; Mohammad Raghib;
$1,000: LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council PAC ID 822029; SoCal Pipe Trades District Council #16 PAC ID 760715; Shaisha Farugi (owner Trave Services); Lina Feghali (Pacific Towing Inc); Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties Action Fund PAC ID 1282464; David Antone real estate developer Icon Advisors); Tom Carpenter, (Frontier real estate Investments) San Juan Capistrano; Equality California (c/o Reed & Davidson LLP) PAC ID 1254010

Who Are the Groups Making Large Contributions to Council Campaigns, and What Do They Want?

(Info from required reporting cal-access.sos.ca.gov and required campaign forms listed under Elections on the city website)

2022 Election

Independent Expenditures by Major Donors to Influence Elections

Tony Bushala

$1,266 – 11/3/22; Robocalls opposing Shana Charles D3
$1,357 – 10/16/22: Robocalls opposing Ahmad Zahra D5
$838 -10/23/22: Robocalls opposing Ahmad Zahra D5
$496 – 10/27/22: Robocalls opposing Ahmad Zahra D5

George Bushala

$3,975 – 11/3/22; postcard mailers opposing Ahmad Zahra D5

Independent Expenditures by Committees to Influence Elections

Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform ID#1346685 (Treasurers Helen Myers & Jack Dean)

Who Are They?

Tony Bushala, a local property owner who runs a contentious political blog, runs the political action committee called Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform which he is the major contributor.

2022 Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform Contributions from the following:

$7,500 from each Tony Bushala, George Bushala Jr., and Dylan Bushala
$5,000 from Freydel Bushala
$4,500 from Apartment Association of OC PAC #980470)
$3,000 from Chris Thompson
$1,000 from each Al Bushala; Chad Wanke (Orbis Capital Inc)
$500 from Damion Lloyd (who rents space from Bushala for his business).

2020 Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform Contributions from:

$23,500 from Tony Bushala (BBI)
$15,000 from Brian Newell (who rents space from Bushala for his business)
$8,500 from George Bushala (BBI)
$3,000 from George Bushala Jr. (Venture Point LLC)
$2,716 from Cedar Mountain LLC (property management)
$2,000 from Mario Marovic (Fullerton Lounge)
$1,600 from Apartment Assoc. of OC PAC
$1,000 from each Kalil Bushala, Sylvia Bushala, Salma Hamad (SBH Cahuenga LLC), Al Bushala (ACB LLC); David Jerome (Jerome Properties Inc)

2022 Election Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform Spent Contributions to:

Oppose District 5 Councilmember Ahmad Zahra:

$26,567 – 7/1/2022-11/8/2022: Literature
$1,849 – 11/2/22: postcard mailers
$2,223 – 7/1-11/8/2022: lawn signs
$1,877 – 7/1-11/8/2022: robocalls

Support District 5 candidate Oscar Valdez:

$1,849 – 11/2/22: postcard mailers

Oppose District 3 candidate Shana Charles:

$799 – 10/21-10/28/2022: robocalls
$2,038 – 11/2/22: postcard mailers

Support Fullerton School District Area 4 candidate Lisa Wozab:

$1,554 – 11/1/22: mailer

Oppose Fullerton School District Area 4 candidate Ruthi Hanchett:

$1,554 – 11/1/22: mailer

Oppose Superior Court Judge Marc Gibbons:

$932 – 4/2022: lawn signs

2020 Election Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform Spent Contributions to:

Oppose District 4 candidate Aaruni Thaker:

$9,669 in postcard mailers
$10,499 in phone banks

Support District 4 Councilmember Bruce Whitaker:

$3,454 in phone banking
$2,624 in postcard mailers

Support District 1 candidate Fred Jung:

$5,258 in phone banking
$2,624 in postcard mailers
$2,680 in Robocalls

Oppose District 1 candidate Andrew Cho;

$11,651 in postcard mailers
$12,161 in phone banking
$6,766 in robocalls
$2,018 in lawn signs
$13,161 in Facebook ads

Oppose Fullerton Measure S (1.25% tax to fix infrastructure):

$3,404 in yard signs
$1,573 in Facebook ads opposing

Oppose Fullerton School District Measures J & K;

$12,320 in print mailers
$4,066 in yard signs
$885 in Facebook ads
$890 in robocalls
$2,901 in political data

Orange County PAC – Sponsored by OC Action (ID#1433932) (FEC ID#C00754192)

Who Are They?

OC Action, a 501(c)(4) non-profit founded in 2017, is an AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), Latinx, Labor, and Environmental Justice Alliance to educate voters on key issues that impact the community and to develop progressive political power for underrepresented communities across Orange County. Fullerton resident Jonathan Paik is the executive director. https://ocaction.org/values/

Funds are raised through non-tax-deductible donations.

2022 election season independent expenditures went to:

Support to District 3 council candidate Shana Charles

$1,050 – 11/7/22 – Digital Ad
$500 – 11/6/22 – Digital Ad
$1,000 – 11/5/22 – Digital Ad
$2,500 – 11/1/22 – Canvas program
$1000 – 10/30/22 – Digital Ad
$800 – 10/29/22 – Digital Ad
$633 – 10/10/22 – LIT & WEB
$500 – 9/24/22 – Field Canvassing
$2,458 – 10/7/22 – Canvass Salary
$1,416 – 10/21/22 – Canvass Salary

Fullerton Police Officers Association PAC ID#943753 (treasurer Attorney Andreas C. Rockas, Sacramento)

Who Are They? The Association PAC is the political arm of the union for sworn police officers, and funds are raised through dues.

2022 election season independent expenditures:

Support District 5 Councilmember Ahmad Zahra

$20,232 in digital ads

Support District 3 Council candidate Arnel Dino

$38,150 in digital ads

2020 election Contributions to Support:

$2,000 – District 1 candidate Fred Jung
$2,000 – District 1 candidate Andrew Cho
$1,000 – District 2 candidate Nick Dunlap
$500 – District 2 candidate Chuck Sargent
$5,000 – Izzy Claustro for OC Superior Court Judge
$10,000 – Measure S: Community Services, Street Repair, Emergency Response

Fullerton Firefighters Association PAC ID#921657 (treasurer, Jason Engler, Inglewood)

Who Are They? The Association PAC is the political arm of the union for Fullerton Firefighters and Paramedics. Funds are raised through dues (and donations to the group from the public), with some forwarded to the PAC.

2023 election Contributions to Support:

$5,500 – Josh Newman for Senate (District 29) 2024

2022 election Contributions to Support:

$975 – Shana Charles for District 3 (banners)
$975 – Ahmad Zahra for District 5 (banners)

2020 election Independent Expenditures to Support:

$10,000 – Fair Elections For Fullerton, Yes on Measure S ID#137996
$18,198 – District 4 council candidate Aaruni Thakur, “mailers, website development, broadcast ads, video filming, voter data, email blasts, consulting services”
$18,198 – District 1 candidate Fred Jung, “mailers, website development, broadcast ads, video filming, voter data, email blasts, consulting services” contributions.

2020 election monetary contributions

$1,000 – District 4 candidate Aaruni Thakur

Apartment Assoc. PAC OC ID#980470

Who are They? Contributions to this PAC are owners and managers of multi-family rentals in Orange County. The group has a lobbying arm also. It spent $196,923 in the 2022 election. Contributions to the PAC from Fullerton include S&S Property Management, Dunlap Real Estate Investments Inc., and various apartment complexes.

Contributions went to:

$11,000 – Republican Party OC
$4,500 – Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform
$2,000 – Valadez for Fullerton City Council D5; Ybarra for Fullerton City Council D3; And campaigns of numerous politicians, including Harry Sidhu, Trevor O’Neil, Solario, OC Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Janet Nguyen, Lisa Bartlett, Pat Bates, Andrew Do, Michelle Steele, Shawn Nelson for Judge, Tim Shaw for Board of Education, Dunlap for City Council 2020, Whitaker for Fullerton City Council 2020; and many more.

OC Employees Association PAC ID#801447

Who are They? Contributions to this PAC are employees of the county offices in Santa Ana, Orange County.

2022 contributions

($66,107) to support campaigns of various politicians with amounts of $2000 or under, including Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles for Fullerton City Council; Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly; Josh Newman for Senate; OC Supervisors Do, Chaffee, Foley, Sarmiento, Nguyen, and Bartlett; Don Barnes for Sheriff; Spitzer for District Attorney; Bell, Baytieh, Rowe, and Alvarez for Judge; Pat Bates for Sec of State; Tony Thurmond for State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Jose Trinidad Castaneda for BP City Council; and many more in cities throughout OC.

2020 contributions with amounts of $2000 or under to the following campaigns:

Aaruni Thakur for Fullerton City Council; Jung for Fullerton City Council; Josh Newman for State Senate; Ahmad Zahra for 2022; Jesus Silva for 2022; Friends of Josh Newman Opposed to the Recall; OC Young Democrats; Farrah Khan for Irvine; Juan Villegas for SA Council; Tammy Kim, for Council; Diedre Thu-Ha, Melissa Fox, Cottie Petrie-Norris and Andrew Rodriguez for State Assembly; Lucille Kring for OC Supervisor and many more in cities throughout OC.

Fair Elections For Fullerton; Yes on Measure S ID#1379916 (Treasurer Tammi McIntyre)

What Do They Want? The “S” Ballot Measure for a 1.25% tax to raise money to keep city services, street repair, and emergency response in order failed to pass in Fullerton. However, similar measures did pass in neighboring cities, which have since seen huge improvements in roads and services.

Contributions from the list below paid for mailers:

$12,000 – Orange County Employees Association
$10,000 – Fullerton Firefighters Assoc; Fullerton Police Assoc
$4,999 – John Phelps
$1,000 and Under – North OC Chamber PAC, NOC Impact ID#1399607; and individuals Chuck Street and Rubina Chaudhary