Published May 12, 2017
Candidates Andrew Sarega (right) and Tony Aiello shown in a direct mail piece.
By Brian Hews
An examination of La Mirada City Council campaign finance documents shows that candidate Tony Aiello, who lost to eventual District 1 winner John Lewis, paid $1,781 to District 2 winner Andrew Sarega’s campaign on March 17, ten days after the City Council election was decided.
Aiello has been vehemently denying heavy involvement with Sarega or his campaign.
The payment was reported as a “CTB” on Aiello’s report, which is classified as a contribution, and noted the payment as a “Donation to Sarega for Council.”
The report was filed on April 19, 2017, 32 days after Aiello paid Sarega’s campaign.
Pages from Tony Aiello’s 460 campaign finance statements showing the $1,781 payment to “Sarega for Council.” The form was filed on April 19, 2017 (upper right), 32 days after Aiello made the donation to Serega.
The March La Mirada City Council campaign was marred with election improprieties as reported by the Lamplighter in several investigative articles. Campaign documents obtained by the Lamplighter showed that a large sum of obscure campaign money had been given to a questionable committee to influence the race.
The committee called itself Residents for a Better La Mirada (RBLM) and received only one donation from a La Habra based construction company.
The committee used the money to slam Aiello’s opponent John Lewis using direct mailed “hit pieces.”
The mailers originated from zip code 76161 in Fort Worth, Texas.
HMG-LML examined the campaign documents and direct mail pieces sent out by Aiello promoting his own campaign.
Aiello’s mail pieces were sent from the same zip code and was printed at the same facility in Texas as RBLM.
The similarities between the information on the RBLM and Aiello’s campaign documents, the mail pieces and campaign flyers strongly indicated coordination between the parties.
The Fair Political Practices Commission is now investigating Aiello and Residents for Better La Mirada, along with La Mirada Councilman Andrew Sarega.