With just 12 days to go until the primary, mayoral frontrunners Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel remain neck-and-neck in fundraising, according to the latest figures filed to the City of L.A. Ethics Commission.
Between Jan. 20 and Feb. 16, Garcetti raised $452,819, bringing his total to $4.13 million. During the same time, Greuel raised $473,582, giving her a grand total of $4.07 million. (Both candidates have each qualified for an additional $667,000 in matching funds.)
The Greuel campaign has also benefited from $1.2 million in independent expenditures from political action committees, including Working Californians and the Police Protective League. A PAC supporting Garcetti is expected to start spending after the primary. He and Greuel are virtually tied in the polls and are expected to advance to the May 21 runoff.
On the subject of money, the Greuel campaign began circulating a new graphic on social media Thursday. The image defends Greuel’s stat that as city controller she has identified $160 million in fraud, waste and abuse.
But according to year-end statements from the Controller’s Office, audits from 2010-12 identified only $96.5 million in waste.
The discrepancies are related to audits of street furniture (bus benches, etc.) and the Real Property Trust Fund. The Greuel campaign created a page on her website to explain the math behind both audits. However, the controller's official year-end statements from 2010 and 2012 reflect smaller figures than what her website indicates.
