Andy Spahn letter urges $15,000 donations to help Greuel

Andy Spahn, the political adviser for Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and other Hollywood figures, signed a letter to industry activists asking for contributions of $15,000 to an independent expenditure committee that plans to air commercials pushing Wendy Greuel for mayor. Contributions directly to Greuel's campaign are limited to $1,300. By law, she and her campaign consultants can't have anything to do with the so-called independent activities of committees such as Working Californians to Elect Wendy Greuel , which is actually expected to get its spending money mostly from the biggest DWP union and from Hollywood interests.

From Tina Daunt at The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the letter:

Spahn not only advises Spielberg and Katzenberg, along with former DreamWorks compatriot David Geffen, he also served as a key Hollywood point man for the Barack Obama re-election campaign. Before seeking elective office, Greuel worked as a DreamWorks executive, where she reportedly established a particularly strong relationship with Katzenberg, a major Obama donor and fundraiser in the recent general election....

“Please join us in supporting Wendy Greuel for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Spahn’s letter reads. “We are part of an independent campaign committed to her election. … We strongly believe Wendy has the right balance of experience and vision it will take to address the many challenges that face our city.

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During the presidential election, Katzenberg helped launch the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA, with $2 million in seed money to battle the conservative groups funded by Karl Rove and the Koch brothers. While local Democrats applauded Katzenberg's initiative to "even the playing field" in the presidential election, his decision to help fund a super PAC to give Greuel the edge in the mayoral election is generating resentment among Garcetti supporters in the entertainment industry.

"There is a big difference between fighting against conservative Republican super PACs and funding super PACs attacking progressive Democrats," Bill Carrick, Garcetti's campaign manager, said Wednesday evening.