Cook

Mitzelfelt gets $57K from PAC that’s opposed Cook
June 01, 2012 2:19 PM
Brooke Edwards Staggs, City Editor

Two political action committees have spent $203,514 in the last three weeks supporting Paul Cook’s bid for the 8th Congressional District, according to records from the Federal Election Commission.

The PAC Spirit of Democracy America has spent $163,514 since May 21 on TV ads and mailers endorsing the Assemblyman from Yucca Valley. Stand with America spent $40,000 May 22 on TV ads, FEC records show.

No details are available about who’s behind the two PACs. Both were formed earlier this month and are associated under Thomas Hiltachk, an attorney out of Sacramento.

“This is an independent expenditure, so by law we don’t know who’s contributing to it — and I don’t want to know who’s contributing to it,” John Sobel, Cook’s chief of staff, said by phone Friday.

Candidates do not have to list independent expenditures from PACs on their campaign finance forms, since the donations, according to law, are made without any cooperation from the candidate. The PACs also don’t have any contribution limits, unlike donations directly to candidates.

Another PAC — Jobs Opportunity and Freedom — spent $12,971 Thursday on materials opposing Cook.

The same PAC has spent $57,733 supporting candidate Brad Mitzelfelt, including an expense Friday for an email blast.

Both men have also received several hefty donations directly to their campaign funds in recent days, including a $2,500 contribution to Cook from former California gubernatorial candidate and Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman.

Cook and Mitzelfelt are among 13 candidates in the race, which is the most hotly contested Congressional battle in California. The top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary will duke it out on November’s ballot

Brooke Edwards Staggs may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

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