Suspect funded campaigns

Mark R. Madler

A Glendale man facing federal gun and drug charges made contributions

to at least four Burbank City Council members, according to city

officials and campaign finance records.

Councilman Dave Golonski received two $250 contributions from

Scott Schaffer between Jan. 1 and March 26, according to campaign

finance disclosure records filed with the Burbank City Clerk’s

office.

One of Schaffer’s companies, G & S Transit Management, donated

$250 to his long-time girlfriend Councilwoman Stacey Murphy’s

campaign, finance disclosure records show.

Schaffer and Murphy were arrested Wednesday as part of an ongoing

investigation into the Vineland Boyz street gang.

Schaffer, 51, allegedly swapped handguns with gang members in

exchange for cocaine, police said.

Murphy was arrested for possession of cocaine and child

endangerment for having three handguns and ammunition in the garage

of her Lima Street home that could be easily accessed by her

12-year-old son, police said.

It is never easy to know what is going on with the private lives

of those making donations to a campaign, Golonski said.

“If you look at a number of people who received money [from

Schaffer] not a single one of them had a clue,” Golonski said.

Schaffer also contributed thousands of dollars to the campaigns of

at least three Glendale City Council members during the last

election, campaign records showed.

Documents filed with the Glendale City Clerk’s office show that

between May 2004 and February 2005, a total of more than $11,000 in

cash or in-kind donations were given to the campaigns of Councilmen

Bob Yousefian, Ara Najarian and Dave Weaver by Schaffer, companies

for which he is listed as an owner or officer, and employees of those

companies.

At least two other sitting members of the Burbank council received

funds from Schaffer.

Mayor Jef Vander Borght said that he received a donation from

either Schaffer or one his transit companies in 2003 during his run

for the council but he did not recall the exact amount.

At that time, there was no knowledge of the legal problems

Schaffer would find himself in two years later, Vander Borght said.

“If I was running now and given the money I would have second

thoughts and not take it,” Vander Borght said.

Vice Mayor Todd Campbell recalled receiving a $250 check from

Schaffer during his 2003 run for the council but couldn’t recall

whether he even cashed it, he said.

He may have returned the money that he received it late in the

campaign because it was no longer needed, Campbell said.

“I know for sure that he did not finance me in the primary,” said

Campbell, who is serving his first council term.

Attempts to reach Councilwoman Marsha Ramos were not successful.

Murphy is free on $100,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Burbank

Superior Court on Aug. 25

Schaffer is being held in federal custody and scheduled to appear

in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on July 28.