Governor Gets Gifts From Wine to Stogies

Upon becoming governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger sold off millions of dollars worth of stock -- and collected gifts ranging from orchids to stogies from Tom Brokaw, Bon Jovi, Danny DeVito, billionaire Warren Buffett and scores of other friends.

Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, whose personal wealth is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions, put cash from their stock sales into a blind trust, to be managed by longtime financial advisor Paul D. Wachter, according to the governor’s statement of economic interest.

The document, filed Thursday with the Fair Political Practices Commission, shows that the stocks they held ranged from Coca-Cola, Cisco, Washington Post Co. and Wal-Mart Stores to General Electric, Weight Watchers and RotoRooter Inc.

The so-called conflict of interest forms don’t require that officeholders disclose the exact value of their holdings. Rather, officials must provide ranges of worth. California’s first couple held between $10,001 and $100,000 worth of stock in each of at least 39 firms, and stock worth $100,001 to $1 million in each of 18 firms.

Schwarzenegger retains holdings and collects income from his film company, Oak Productions, and from Pumping Iron America Inc., Fitness Publications, and from real estate holdings, eight of which are valued at more than $1 million.

He also holds stock worth more than $1 million in Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc. The firm is among the companies that have contracts to help manage the massive California Public Employee Retirement System pension fund, according to its Web site. As governor, Schwarzenegger makes appointments to the fund’s board.

Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said the holdings in Dimensional also have been placed in the blind trust.

“He does not have control over it if it is in a blind trust,” Thompson said.

The statement shows that no fewer than 115 individuals gave him gifts in the days before and after the Oct. 7 recall in which voters ousted Gov. Gray Davis.

He received no fewer than 40 bouquets and plants, including a $150 basket of flowers from Jon Bon Jovi, and $50 orchids from NBC anchor Brokaw and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the Democrat who placed a distant second in the race to replace Davis.

The most expensive gift was a $600 case of wine from “Terminator 3” producers Andy Vagna and Mario Kassar. “The Tonight Show,” where he announced his candidacy, bestowed $330 worth of champagne and wine, plus a Sacramento road map, on him.

The governor, who smokes cigars, received $1,052 worth of stogies. Investor and campaign donor Robert Day gave him a $250 tie, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz gave him a $100 tie, and Jeffrey Wortsman of Toronto gave him a $75 flask.

Clothing designer Giorgio Armani gave him a framed photo and clothing valued at $300.