All politics is local – except when it's not.

Millionaire ex-Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and billionaire builder Eli Broad weighed in with last-minute money to help their friend Alan Bersin keep his job and shape the next San Diego School Board.

In a report filed with the Secretary of State, Republican Richard Riordan funnelled $25,000 to the "Republican Party of San Diego County" (sic), which undoubtedly is the San Diego County Republican Central Committee – the body that has been heavily underwriting the campaign of School Board member John deBeck's opponent, ex-FBI agent Clyde Fuller.

In four reports filed at our County Registrar of Voters, Eli Broad gave a total of $65, 980 to influence the outcome of the San Deigo School Board election.

Broad gave $36,164 to finance a mailer against independent Board candidate Jeff Lee and $12,054 for a mailer to help Lee's opponent, lawyer Katherine Nakamura. In addition Broad gave $8881 to produce a mailer against incumbent Board member John deBeck and the same amount for a mailer in favor of Clyde Fuller.

Several years ago Riordan and Broad personally re-shaped the entire Los Angeles Board of Education with financial support for their hand-picked slate of candidates. These men were pacesetters in what since has become a pattern of big business and national foundation interference in the work of locally elected boards of education.

Check out this link to an LA Times article that did not make it inot our local edition, Occidental Trustees Told Gift Tied to L.A. School Board Bid.

Here are some links to other articles and editorials about the influence of outside money, both in San Diego and Los Angeles: