By Darryl Saffold PIO, Antioch Police Department

On Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, at approximately 1:30 AM, Antioch Police Officers were dispatched to a report of a large fight in the area of Golden Bear and Via Dora. As this incident was being investigated, it was determined that a female victim sustained a laceration to the side of her face and was transported to a local area hospital for her injuries.

This is still an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441. Anonymous tips can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.

Tout their efforts but accomplished little to nothing, resulting in pipeline owner suing city; pledge symbolic as gas and oil companies rarely if ever contribute to Antioch candidates

By Allen D. Payton

According to the NoFossilFuelMoney.org website, both incumbent Antioch Councilwomen Monica Wilson in District 4 and Tamisha Torres-Walker in District 1 signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge, this year. None of their challengers signed the pledge which is mainly symbolic as rarely if ever do oil or gas companies contribute to Antioch City Council candidates.

The pledge reads, “I pledge not to take contributions over $200 from oil, gas, and coal industry executives, lobbyists, and PACs and instead prioritize the health of our families, climate, and democracy over fossil fuel industry profits.”

On the website it explains, “Taking the pledge means that a politician and their campaign will adopt a policy to not knowingly accept any contributions over $200 from the PACs, lobbyists, or SEC-named executives of fossil fuel companies — companies whose primary business is the extraction, processing, distribution, or sale of oil, gas, or coal.”

As part of her efforts against oil and gas, earlier this year, Wilson was able to convince a majority of councilmembers to approve a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the city, which she and Torres-Walker both tout as an accomplishment on their re-election campaign websites.

Bob Nunn is the only owner of oil and gas drilling rights inside Antioch, and whose company is drilling for oil just outside the city limits along Deer Valley Road. Yet, when Wilson, following the lead of the Brentwood City Council, was pushing for a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in Antioch, neither she nor city staff contacted or informed Nunn of the item being on the council agenda each time it was discussed and ultimately voted on. However, the vote did little to nothing as the moratorium doesn’t prevent Nunn from exercising his rights to drill in Antioch. Plus, he said there were no plans, anyway as previous efforts proved to be dry holes.

In addition, last year the councilwomen were joined by Mayor Lamar Thorpe in voting against the renewal of the franchise agreement for the low-pressure, natural gas pipeline that runs through the city. Torres-Walker flip flopped in her voting after supporting renewal of the agreement just a month prior. (See related article)

As a result, the pipeline owner, California Resources Production Corporation sued the city. CA RESOURCES PRODUCTION VS ANTIOCH | Court Records – UniCourt

Also spent over half her funds outside city; Pickett in distant fundraising fourth; mistakes found in Wilson’s, White’s reports

By Allen D. Payton

As of the end of the most recent campaign finance reporting period on October 22, 2022, incumbent District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, who formed her committee and begun fundraising in 2021, led the pack of four candidates having raised over $29,400 for her re-election campaign, followed by District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock with a little over $24,500 and Sandra White with $20,400 of which $18,600 were loans from herself. Newcomer Shawn Pickett’s latest campaign finance report, known as a Form 460 shows he had raised about $4,400 including $1,500 in loans from himself. Candidates are only required to report details of contributions and expenditures of $100 or more.

Wilson Backed by Unions, Developers, Garbage Company, Radical Leftists

Wilson received most of her campaign funds and so far, has spent over half of them outside the city. Her Form 460 reports show the incumbent had raised $27,348.36 this year and $4,475 last year for a total of $31,823.36 and had spent $27,007.32 on her re-election campaign. Wilson’s largest contributions includes the maximum amount of $4,900 from Pleasanton-based Contra Costa United Working Families Political Action Committee. Her latest Form 460 shows the contribution reported twice which her treasurer, Jordan Eldridge said was a mistake and he would correct it. See her reports, here: MWilson 2020 460 0101-063021   MWilson 2022 460 0101-063022   MWilson 2022 460 0701-092422   MWilson 2022 460 0701-123121   MWilson 2022 460 0925-102222

Another oversight in Wilson’s reports is a $2,500 contribution from Republic Services of Pacheco, the garbage company that services Antioch, which was not included. According to a company representative the check was mailed on February 28, 2022 and received by the campaign sometime in March. The contribution should have been included in the report dated Jan. 1 – June 30, 2022. That increases Wilson’s contributions to $29,423.36 through Oct. 22, 2022.

She also received $4,500 from the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 104, $2,500 from State Treasurer Fiona Ma’s re-election campaign committee, $2,250 from Plumbing Industry Consumer Protection Fund, United Association, Local 159, $2,000 from I.B.E.W. (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) 302 Community Candidates PAC, $1,500 from Irvine-based Richland Investments, developers of the 1,100-home The Ranch project in the Sand Creek area for which Wilson voted in favor; $1,000 from DeNova Homes, developer of the Aviano community in the Sand Creek area which she also voted for, $1,000 from the re-election campaign committee Contra Costa Community College Board Ward 3 Trustee and Martinez resident, Rebecca Barret, $1,000 from political campaign consultant Melody Howe Weintraub of Pleasant Hill, another $1,000 from Olivia Sears of San Francisco, $700 from Lucia Albers of Brentwood, listed as Project Manager of Albers Ranch and is land developer of The Olive Grove senior housing community in the Sand Creek area;$600 from D.A. Diana Becton, $500 each from the Laborers International Union of North American Local 342, UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) Western States Council Candidates PAC, then-Suisun Mayor and now-State Assemblywoman Lori Wilson and Ahmos Netanel of Pacfic Palisades, Chief Executive Officer with the California Massage Therapy Council; and $400 from Sunflower Alliance of Richmond which is opposed to oil and gas drilling in the county.

Wilson also received $1,000 from Oakland-based Bay Rising Action Committee sponsored by Center for Empowered Politics. According to their website, “Bay Rising Action is a grassroots political network that champions strong leaders representing our racial, economic, and environmental justice movements and builds the political power of working-class, immigrant, Black, Latinx, and Asian communities.” According to the Center for Empowered Politics website, “In 2017, Chinese Progressive Association Action Fund and San Francisco Rising Action Fund merged to form the Center for Empowered Politics.” According to Influence Watch, “The Chinese Progressive Association is a left-wing community organizing group focusing on the Chinese-American communities that grew out of radical-left and pro-People’s Republic of China cadres. ^[7] CPA has faced accusations of aligning with the People’s Republic of China government and has received favorable coverage from the Chinese Communist Party-affiliated news outlet China Daily.” ^[8] [9]

Of her individual contributions, Wilson received $18,008.42 from outside of Antioch, including from Brentwood, Pittsburg, Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Hercules, San Pablo, Richmond, Rio Vista, Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Tiburon, Healdsburg, Los Altos, San Jose, Mountain View, Belmont, Pomona, Inglewood and from as far away as St. Paul, Minnesota and Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Only $2,090.16 was from Antioch residents including $600 from David McCully who is listed as retired, $300 from homeless advocate Nichole Gardner and $250 from Mayor Lamar Thorpe who has endorsed Wilson’s re-election bid.

Of the campaign funds Wilson spent, almost 75% was outside the city including $10,700 with Belleci Signs and Apparel in Pittsburg, $6,975.96 at Copyworld, Inc. in Berkeley, $864 for signs with My Campaign Store in Louisville, Kentucky, $769.27 with Honey Bucket Portable Restrooms of Pittsburg, $535 with Message Framer in Richmond for designing her literature, $500 with Tacos El Rulis in Brentwood and $500 with Eldridge Political Partners in San Jose, which provided services as her campaign treasurer. Wilson did spend some campaign funds in Antioch including $1,562.50 for a fundraiser at Monica’s Riverview, $420 with Photography by Tish, $283.62 with FastSigns, $225 with Destiny Iwouma for DJ services and $205.93 at Target and Office Depot, plus she contributed $250 to Thorpe’s Stop the Karen Recall committee. She spent an additional $800 with Agape Design but provided no address for the business.

Wilson’s reports show she had $7,951.62 cash on hand available for spending during the final two weeks of the campaign. But that amount should be $9,451.62 with the additional $2,500 contribution from Republic Services not yet reported.

Ogorchock Backed by Developers, Police Officers, Garbage Company

Ogorchock’s Form 460 reports show she had raised $10,325, this year, but had an ending cash balance from her previous campaign committee of $14,201.52 for a total of $24,526.52 available to spend and had spent $16,524.61 in her campaign. See her reports, here: L Ogorchock ACC 2020 460 0101-063021   L Ogorchock ACC 2020 460 0701-123121   L Ogorchock ACC 2022 460 0101-063022   L Ogorchock ACC 2022 460 0701-092422   L Ogorchock ACC 2022 460 0925-102222

Her largest contributions included $2,500 from the Antioch Police Officers Association, $2,500 from Republic Services of Pacheco; $2,000 from GBN Partners of Danville, land developers of the Promenade new home projects in the Sand Creek area; $1,000 from Munni Food Inc IHOP of Fairfield, $1,000 from Antioch resident Laura Garrow, $500 from Antioch business owner Michael Gabrielson, $500 from Lucia Albers of Brentwood, land developer of The Olive Grove senior housing community in the Sand Creek area; and another $500 from the California Apartment Association.

She received $3,050 from Antioch residents and $450 from individuals from outside the city.

Ogorchock’s largest expenditures include $7,375 with Antioch-based Del Rey Advertising (owned by this reporter) for Highway 4 digital billboard, cable TV and livestream advertising, $4,995 with Pacific Printing in San Jose for literature, $838.71 with the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center for a fundraiser, $600 on advertising with EastCountyToday.net, $400 with Cedric Cheng Design in Concord, $333.84 with The Print Club in Antioch for more literature, $283.62 with Fast Signs of Antioch and $264.48 with Trident Consulting in Brentwood for website work.

Ogorchock had $2,346.03 left on hand to spend for the remainder of her campaign.

White Loans Her Campaign Over $18,600

According to her Form 460 financial reports, in her second bid for city council in District 4, Sandra White had raised $1,753.48 and loaned her campaign $18,634.41 for a total of $20,387.89 available to spend and had spent $9,159.34. That left her $11,280.55 remaining on hand to spend during the final weeks of the campaign. However, those last two figures are incorrect, as a $1,500 payment to Mesa Outdoor of Danville for Highway 4 digital billboard advertising on Oct.16th is not listed on her latest Form 460. See her reports, here: Sandra G White ACC D4 2022 460 0701-092422 amended   Sandra G White ACC D4 2022 460 0925-102222 amended

Of her reportable contributions of $100 or more $1,703.48 came from within Antioch with her largest individual contribution of $1,200 from Phillip Lubina, a pharmacist in Antioch.

White’s largest expense was with Mail Stream in Concord for $3,786.65 on a mailer, $1,690.62 with Fast Signs of Antioch, then $1,500 with Mesa Outdoor of Danville, $772.91 with Katysites of Katy, Texas for her campaign website, $725 paid to her treasurer and Antioch resident, Lindsey Amezcua, $313.97 at Staples in Pleasant Hill, $289.27 with Office Depot in Antioch, $253.74 with Siclics Screen Printing and Embroidery in Antioch and $195 with Black Jewel Images, Inc. of Antioch.

Pickett Raises Least Amount

Shawn Pickett had raised $2,926.25 and loaned his campaign $1,507.64 for a total of $4,433.89 available to spend and had spent $2,274.25 leaving him with $2,159.64 remaining to spend on his campaign. See his reports, here: Pickett 4 Council 460 0701-092422   Pickett 4 Council 460 0925-102222

Pickett’s largest contributions were $1,000 from Sandra Brown of Hayward who is listed as retired, and another $1,000 from self-employed computer tech Tim Mayor of Fresno, followed by $500 from Fairfield resident and teacher, Tessa Threets, and $200 from within Antioch, including $100 each from a relative and another resident.

Pickett wins the prize for receiving the contribution from furthest away with $200 from former Antioch resident Kathleen Gunther now of Leesberg, Virginia, who is listed as retired.

Like Wilson, most of his funds were spent outside of Antioch with $1,756 on campaign signs, banner and fliers at Leftside Printing in Richmond which Pickett said is owned by a friend.

The election is next Tuesday, November 8th.