Dirty Money
The owner of a campaign services company is accused of conspiring with a former San Diego Police detective to illegally funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to local candidates from a wealthy Mexican businessman.
The Latest
-
The cases involved people who made $500 donations to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis' failed 2012 mayoral run and then were reimbursed for the expense.
The Background
-
Prosecutors say Mexican billionaire Jose Susumo Azano Matsura was the source of a scheme to commit campaign finance fraud "on a scale not seen in San Diego history." -
A lawyer for a wealthy Mexican businessman accused of making illegal campaign donations sought Monday in federal court to release a recommendation letter that District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis wrote for a relative of the foreign national. -
Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, a Mexican billionaire, is accused of illegally contributing more than $600,000 to San Diego campaigns using straw donors. Foreign nationals are not allowed to donate to U.S. political campaigns.
Uncovering A Scandal
-
At the root of San Diego’s recent campaign finance scandal lies the topic of outside donations, and the illegality of foreign money used to influence stateside elections. -
A how-to guide for unraveling San Diego campaign finance scandal involving a straw donor, a "foreign national" and local politicians. -
We’ve updated the story to show the second half of the investigation — how we figured out the second candidate, the extent of the foreign national’s network, and more.
The "Foreign National"
-
The “foreign national” in the local campaign finance scandal is “almost a legend” in Mexico.