Emails the California State Transportation Agency provided to The Associated Press through a public records act request include exchanges with Bicker, Castillo & Fairbanks about projects, meetings, compilations of articles about SB1, legislation approved last year that raises the gas tax, and other topics.
Brandon Castillo and Kathy Fairbanks are partners at the firm, and Melissa Figueroa is the deputy secretary for communications and strategic planning at the state agency.
Here are excerpts:
SEPT. 20, 2017
Castillo: “Hey Melissa - We’re penning opeds targeting the following congressional republicans. I have the city/county funding for each congressional district, but do you have some state projects that we can sprinkle into opeds from the following: 10th District - Jeff Denham, 24th District - Steve Knight, 45th District - Mimi Walters, 49th District - Darrell Issa.”
SEPT. 28, 2017
Figueroa: “Were you guys able to get an author nailed down for the San Diego Op Ed? Let me know if you need some help from BK or I.” (Brian Kelly was then the head of the agency.)
SEPT. 28, 2017
Castillo: “Do you have anyone in mind that could influence Republicans/Issa? According to this morning’s Bee article (which Kathy generated), Issa still hasn’t made up his mind on the ballot measure.”
In interviews, Castillo and Figueroa said the agency never suggested an author. Figueroa said she offered help because the op-ed would educate people in Issa’s district.
JAN. 3, 2018
Fairbanks: “We are developing a campaign logo and want to do something that corresponds with the SB1 logo. I looked on the rebuildingca.ca.gov website for the RGB make up of the various colors but I don’t see it listed. Can you send to me if you have it?”
JAN. 3, 2018
Figueroa: “Janine or I will get it to you in the morning, the graphic designer at Caltrans is already gone for the day.”
The emails sought publicly available information and were about designing a logo for Proposition 69, a measure placed on the June ballot by SB1 supporters, Castillo said.
UNDATED
An undated memo outlining agency and coalition plans from March through the June primary election shows the firm and the agency coordinated the timing of announcements and events. It details plans for the state to tout new construction projects while the coalition campaigned for Proposition 69.
“Early May stand up news conferences in conjunction with us and CalTtrans (sic) to promote SB1 projects and Prop. 69,” one line reads.
The agency and coalition coordinated their schedules, but the agency wasn’t involved in campaigning for Proposition 69, Figueroa said. She said she didn’t remember the memo specifically, but believed it was compiled by someone at the firm and combined plans from the firm and the state agency, which oversees Caltrans.
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