Gov.’s secret travel donors named

SACRAMENTO —  The identities of some donors bankrolling travel for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his staff -- information the governor’s advisors can no longer keep secret -- are now being revealed as special interests with business before the state.

The administration is identifying the contributors as a result of new disclosure regulations that followed a Times investigation of the secret donations and the level of travel they funded.

The donations were made to the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that pays for administration travel expenses ranging from the governor’s private jet trips to Asia and Europe and his luxury hotel stays to meals for junior staff working at events in Los Angeles.

The foundation has collected nearly $2 million since it was created in 2004. Only new contributions, however, are being disclosed. They are related to $180,000 the foundation raised for travel by the governor and staff this summer to the Border Governors Conference in Los Angeles, of which Schwarzenegger was the host.

The contributions included $50,000 from the University of Phoenix and $25,000 each from the California Conference of Carpenters, California State Council of Laborers, Capstone Turbine Corp. and Western Union.

Other donors included the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers, Anheuser-Busch and AOL. All of the donors have some form of business before the state, and some had major legislation pending when the contributions were made in August.

“The governor’s office should have disclosed this information on its own,” said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies. “It’s unfortunate that it took new regulations to get them to do it.”

Stern described the contributions as “business decisions” by donors seeking access to the governor’s office. “Nobody is giving out of the goodness of their heart,” he said.

Stern called on the governor’s office to reveal the identities of all contributors to the foundation since its inception.

Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said the administration is complying with the law. Donors gave because they believe in the governor’s “vision for the future of the state,” he said.

“Gov. Schwarzenegger does what he believes to be in the best interest of the people of California, not any political party or special interest, and a look at his record makes that clear,” McLear said. “The governor has always supported transparency laws.”

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evan.halper@latimes.com