Chevron has funneled $3 million into a trio of campaign committees to influence the Nov. 4 Richmond city election, including a nearly $1.3 million contribution on Aug. 8, according to newly filed campaign finance documents.
The committees, each a variation of Chevron’s "Moving Forward” campaign, spent about $1.3 million on the Richmond mayoral and City Council races as of the end of September, much of it on attack ads targeting local officials who are critical of Chevron’s massive local refinery.
Chevron’s independent campaign contributions, which are unlimited under federal law, have come in two installments. In March, a Moving Forward committee received $1.6 million from Chevron, with $1,296,700 coming Aug. 8.
Chevron created the original Moving Forward committee in 2012 as part of a new strategy to advance its political interests in Richmond. Its full name is: “Moving Forward, a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, public safety and firefighters associations. Major funding by Chevron.”