Team Newport’s more than a name

June Casagrande

A political organization that came into existence just in time to

avoid filing pre-election campaign finance statements is being

credited with providing the extra boost needed to propel three of

four council candidates to victory last November.

A slate mailer organization called Team Newport on Friday filed

campaign finance statements with the city clerk’s office reporting

that it accepted more than $40,000 in donations, nearly $10,000 from

each of the four candidates, to produce and distribute campaign

literature on their behalf. The group came into existence in October

and began political activity Oct. 21, the day after the cutoff period

for filing finance statements before the election.

Team Newport was the nickname on campaign mailers given to four

candidates: Tod Ridgeway, Gary Adams, Don Webb and Bernie Svalstad.

But until Friday, no one knew that a formal organization by that name

existed.

“The point is that by forming on the day after required reporting

and handling the literature mailings for the opposition candidates,

they were able to hide what they were doing from the public,” said

Phil Arst, spokesman for the Greenlight Committee, whose four

candidates ran against the Team Newport candidates. “We contend that

this was subterfuge.”

Still, the group appears to have met all the applicable reporting

and filing deadlines, according to Newport Beach City Clerk Lavonne

Harkless.

“This is much ado about nothing,” Ridgeway said. “No matter when

this happened, Mr. Arst would have had a problem with it. He’s just

trying to breathe life into his organization.”

Ridgeway countered that Greenlight’s campaigning on behalf of its

four candidates may have pushed the boundaries of the letter or at

least the spirit of campaign finance laws. Greenlight collected

donations on its candidates’ behalf.

“I think that once we get into looking at conflicts of interest in

our study session, a lot of things are going to see the light of

day,” Ridgeway said.

The City Council has agreed to examine city campaign rules in an

upcoming study session.

Team Newport Treasurer Corliss Delameter referred media calls to

Team Newport representative John Carvelli, who did not return phone

calls Tuesday.

But the contributors to Team Newport, according to campaign

finance statements, include several local political heavyweights such

as businessman Paul Salata, consultant Carol Hoffman, former

councilman Dennis O’Neil, former Congressman Robert Badham and auto

dealer Theodore Robins Jr.

Carvelli, too, is listed as secretary of another group that

emerged recently on the local political horizon. The Newport Beach

Taxpayers Assn. made headlines in July after it was discovered that

the group was using a bulk mail code belonging to campaign consultant

Dave Ellis.

Ellis, who said he donated use of his bulk mailing code in support

of the group’s work for taxpayers’ rights, was also campaign manager

for the Team Newport candidates. In October, he admitted that he

created a campaign telephone message that contained misinformation

about the District 4 council race. Ellis has not responded to media

queries about whether he was involved in a similarly misleading

message in the 2000 City Council race.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].