The organization formed to oppose Preserving Sonoma, known as Protect Sonoma, has been outed by the Press Democrat as being funded at least in part by Darius Anderson, the developer behind the controversial Sonoma Hotel Project on West Napa.
In an interview with Nancy Simpson, who serves as the chair of Protect Sonoma: Sonomas for a Sustainable Future, she admitted to reporter Derek Moore that her salary was being paid by Kenwood Investments, founded by Anderson, which has been attempting to move forward with plans for a 59-room hotel where the Sonoma Index-Tribune is currently located.
The Index Tribune, and the Press Democrat, are both owned by Sonoma Media Investments, of which Anderson is a principal.
“This is seed money to start a group that was starting anyway,” Simpson is quoted as saying. Patch is currently trying to reach Simpson for confirmation and elaboration.
"We condemn the attempt of a hotel development company to create a Political Action Committee masquerading as a community group when it is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the developer," said Preserving Sonoma chair Larry Barnett in a statement to press.
But the Press Democrat also reported that Barnett has loaned the group he heads $20,000, and expects to loan more before the election.
“The essential difference is that I have no financial interest of any kind in the outcome of an election on our measure, nor does any member of our committee,” Barnett told Patch.
Preserving Sonoma has just started a blog on Sonoma Valley Patch to post their response to a recent article in Patch by City Manager Carol Giovanatto. Others on both sides of this discussion are invited to do the same.
