Anaheim Investigator

Anaheim Investigator The Anaheim Investigator is a blog founded with the expressed purpose of critically examining issues

The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Anaheim officials participated in a June 11, 2025 gala sponsored by...
08/11/2026

The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Anaheim officials participated in a June 11, 2025 gala sponsored by the Association of California Cities–Orange County, where the City of Anaheim and Disneyland Resort were jointly honored with the group’s most prestigious award for their collaborative work on DisneylandForward, a multi‑billion‑dollar expansion of the theme park. Councilmembers and city staff didn’t just witness the presentation—they actively took part in it. Yet six days later, at the June 17th council meeting, no mention of it appeared in official proceedings.

The omission becomes more striking given the treatment of another award the city received at the same ACC‑OC gala: a staff honor presented to Sandra Lozeau, Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development, for her leadership role in tackling homelessness. Her recognition received prominent agenda placement, a detailed staff report, and enthusiastic public remarks during the June 17th meeting. By elevating Lozeau’s award while burying one tied to DisneylandForward, city leadership has raised questions about why information about the latter was withheld from residents.

Councilwoman Norma Campos-Kurtz (in yellow) accepting a joint award on behalf of the city for its partnership with the Disneyland Resort in June 2025. By DUANE J. ROBERTSEditor & Publisher The …

The Anaheim Investigator has obtained photos showing ex‑Anaheim city manager James Vanderpool dining with councilmembers...
07/28/2026

The Anaheim Investigator has obtained photos showing ex‑Anaheim city manager James Vanderpool dining with councilmembers at an awards gala held on June 24th at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. Vanderpool attended the event with his husband, Hernan Cortez, solely because he had been nominated for City Manager of the Year—a distinction that he ultimately did not receive, despite his long public tenure and the considerable political power he once wielded.

But his appearance at this private gathering comes as he still remains a deeply controversial figure in Anaheim, shadowed by scrutiny over his role in influence‑peddling scandals and the turmoil that followed. The gala’s exclusive nature raises questions about whether the same networks that shaped city policy in the shadows continue to operate with confidence, familiarity, and ease even as residents demand genuine accountability rather than recycled political theater that offers little meaningful reform.

Ex-City Manager James Vanderpool and his husband (center) dining with councilmembers at the Nixon Library on June 24, 2026. By DUANE J. ROBERTSEditor & Publisher The Anaheim Investigator has ob…

The Anaheim Investigator has learned from campaign finance disclosures that the Hawaiian Gardens Casino in Los Angeles C...
05/28/2026

The Anaheim Investigator has learned from campaign finance disclosures that the Hawaiian Gardens Casino in Los Angeles County--a card club that is owned by a Florida-based family which uses the profits it generates to bankroll far-right settler movements in Israel--has made thousands of dollars in contributions to multiple lawmakers here in Orange County, including State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva.

Moreover, prima facie evidence suggests their motive for spending $221,302 to boost Ada Briceño, a union leader seeking to replace Quirk-Silva in the 67th State Assembly District, may be driven by the presence of an opponent aligned with California State Attorney General Rob Bonta, the latter of whom has aggressively pushed for tougher regulations of their industry, such as tightening dealer rules and limiting blackjack.

Sharon Quirk-Silva, a state assemblywoman currently serving the 67th District, with Victor Farfan, a Hawaiian Gardens city councilman, in 2023. By DUANE J. ROBERTSEditor & Publisher The Anaheim…

Campaign finance disclosures reviewed by The Anaheim Investigator show that an independent expenditure committee tied to...
05/16/2026

Campaign finance disclosures reviewed by The Anaheim Investigator show that an independent expenditure committee tied to the Hawaiian Gardens Casino in Los Angeles County not only spent $202,701 supporting Ada Briceño’s bid for the 67th State Assembly District, but also delivered $11,800 directly to her campaign in cash contributions.

However, a card club license renewed in February 2025 by the California Gambling Control Commission confirms this casino is still owned by a Florida based family with a history of funneling tens of millions of dollars of its profits into a foundation they use to bankroll extremist settler movements in Israel involved in the displacement of Palestinians.

Ada Briceño, a candidate in the 67th State Assembly District, whose boundaries cover eight cities, including parts of Anaheim and Fullerton. By DUANE J. ROBERTSEditor & Publisher Campaign finan…

"The truth: this tax is not a threat to innovation — it is a long‑overdue public dividend from a class of billionaires w...
03/24/2026

"The truth: this tax is not a threat to innovation — it is a long‑overdue public dividend from a class of billionaires who became rich on the backs of the government. These tech titans did not bootstrap themselves into existence. Their wealth was built atop federal research grants, defense contracts, regulatory frameworks, and state‑guaranteed markets that shaped every stage of California’s rise as a global technology hub. The mythology of the “free market” has always obscured the reality that Silicon Valley’s success was engineered through massive state intervention."

-- DUANE ROBERTS

The public helped create tech fortunes via government grants, defense contracts and corporate-friendly regulation. Some payback is in order.

The Anaheim Investigator has obtained internal emails, letters, reports, and financial forms showing that State Treasure...
01/27/2026

The Anaheim Investigator has obtained internal emails, letters, reports, and financial forms showing that State Treasurer Fiona Ma—who is currently running for Lt. Governor—quietly aided Swyft Cities, a crowdfunded high-tech startup based in northern California, encouraging it to seek state financing for its projects, especially a loan guarantee from a public bank she oversees.

The aforementioned documents, all gathered through public records act requests filed with multiple local and state agencies, also reveal a key investor in this firm has known Ma since 2012, and that she is "actively engaging in her network [of contacts] on the company's behalf," which, according to one unusual email, includes James Vanderpool, the city manager of Anaheim.

James Vanderpool, City Manager of Anaheim, and Fiona Ma, State Treasurer of California, in a restaurant bar in March 2017. By DUANE J. ROBERTSEditor & Publisher The Anaheim Investigator has obt…

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