Raul Claros, a candidate for Los Angeles City Council, is the founder of several local organizations that collectively have received more than $150,000 in contributions and sponsorships from Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) over the past decade. Claros, a longtime nonprofit executive and former Executive Director at the Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross, is running to unseat incumbent Eunisses Hernandez in the Los Angeles City Council District 1 race.

SoCalGas, a gas utility company based in Los Angeles and a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, provides methane (or natural) gas distribution to Central and Southern California, including the City of Los Angeles. The LA City Council most recently approved SoCalGas’s franchise agreement to operate in the city in early 2022 for a term of 13 years. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the municipal utility servicing electric and water customers in the city.

The Council District 1 race has largely focused on issues of housing, public safety, and immigration amidst a deepening homelessness crisis and ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on immigrant communities. 

Eunisses Hernandez, the incumbent candidate and Councilmember, was elected in 2022 and is endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. Aside from Raul Claros, the other candidates running to unseat Hernandez are Maria Calanche, a nonprofit executive, Nelson Grande, a business consulting company president, and Sylvia Robledo, a former aide to elected officials in LA. 

Undisclosed charitable contributions by SoCalGas

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requires utilities with a gross annual operating revenue of $1 billion or more to submit data on charitable contributions and other data annually under California General Order 77-M (CA GO 77-M). Recent reports, including those from SoCalGas, are publicly available on the CPUC website. 

Claros is connected with four different non-profit or mutual aid groups – Reimagine LA Foundation, Latino Coalition, CD1 Coalition, and California Rising – which have received funding from or promoted events sponsored by SoCalGas. According to the 77-M reports and Claros’ statements in the media, the groups have received over $150,000 from SoCalGas in the last decade. However, the full amount of SoCalGas’s financial support to these organizations is unknown. Typically when a company sponsors an event, the company provides funding or an in-kind contribution to an organization. Because there is no documentation from the company or the Claros-affiliated groups as to the monetary or in-kind contributions for event sponsorships in 2023 and 2024, the total cannot be accurately calculated. In addition, Claros’ public statement describing a $100,000 donation from SoCalGas to the CD1 Coalition in 2024 is not documented in 77-M reports.

Year	Amount, if known	Recipient & Event, if known	Reported
2015	$10,000	Latino Coalition	Yes
2021	$40,000	Reimagine LA	Yes
2022	$1,200	Reimagine LA	Yes
2023	Unknown	Reimagine LA Women’s History Month Celebration	No
2023	Unknown	Reimagine LA 20th Annual Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway	No
2023	Unknown	Reimagine LA Life Skills Sports & Arts Academy	No
2023	Unknown	Reimagine LA Community Clean Up Day of Service	No
2024	Unknown	Reimagine LA Safe & Clean Streets Community Clean Up	No
2024	$100,000	CD1 Coalition	No
2025	Unknown	California Rising and CD1 Coalition Household Resources	No

Reimagine LA Foundation

Reimagine LA Foundation described itself as a nonprofit incubator dedicated to creating community-centered events and spaces empowering Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) within Los Angeles County. Claros co-founded the group in 2020. 

Several of Reimagine LA’s advertised events include sponsorships from SoCalGas, including a “Women’s History Month Celebration” in 2022, another in 2023, “20th Annual Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway” in 2023, “Life Skills Sports & Arts Academy” in 2023, “Community Clean Up Day of Service” in 2023, and “Safe and Clean Streets community clean up” in 2024.

According to SoCalGas’ 77-M reports, Reimagine LA received $40,000 from SoCalGas in 2021, $1,200 in 2022, and no contributions in 2023. Reimagine LA’s 990 filing reported their total budget as $120,000 in 2021. There are no reviewable 990 filings for the group in 2022 and 2023. Though SoCalGas sponsored several Reimagine LA events in 2023 and 2024 according to its social media posts, SoCalGas did not report these contributions in the company’s 77-M filings.

Reimagine LA Foundation appears to have ceased operating. The California Secretary of State shows the group’s status as having had its tax exempt status suspended by the California Franchise Tax Board. The executive director, Rashad Trapp-Rucker, ended his role with the group in April 2025. 

Reimagine LA is listed as a member and participant, alongside many local and environmental organizations, in SoCalGas’ Environmental Justice Community Stakeholder Engagement Plan for its Angeles Link Project, a proposed pipeline system that would transport hydrogen across the Central and Southern California grid. Claros provided testimony in support of the project and praised SoCalGas for bringing the community together with its hydrogen pipeline project.

Latino Coalition

Latino Coalition of Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization focusing on equity and social justice for BIPOC communities through community engagement and policy advocacy. It was also founded by Raul Claros. In 2015, SoCalGas contributed $10,000 to the Latino Coalition Foundation, according to the joint 77-M report SoCalGas filed with parent company Sempra and sibling subsidiary San Diego Gas & Electric. 

Across social media platforms, Latino Coalition shares frequent collaborations and partnerships with SoCalGas, including a children’s toy drive, community talks, and energy efficiency PSAs.

In 2021, Latino Coalition received $5,500 from Reimagine LA, according to Reimagine LA’s 990 tax filing.

CD1 Coalition

Council District 1 Coalition is a grassroots mutual aid group also founded by Raul Claros. It has no website, but posts community events on its Instagram page. In a September 2024 interview with Caló News, Claros stated that the CD1 Coalition received $40,000 from the Reimagine LA Foundation and $100,000 from SoCalGas to fund community events and distribute resources. 

According to the California Secretary of State website, there is no nonprofit organization registered under the name ‘CD1 Coalition.’ After searching SoCalGas’ 77-M reports, there are no charitable contributions to CD1 Coalition.

California Rising

California Rising is another mutual aid group affiliated with Raul Claros. California Rising’s Facebook page states it was formed in 2016. Its first filing with the California Secretary of State’s office is in 2023. In a 2024 filing with the Secretary of State’s office, Rashad Trapp, also affiliated with the Reimagine LA Foundation, is listed as the chief financial officer and secretary. 

California Rising’s Facebook page frequently shares messages from CD1 Coalition and Raul Claros’ Instagram and Facebook accounts. Some of these messages thank SoCalGas for their sponsorship.

There are no available 990 tax filings for California Rising, and they do not appear in SoCalGas’ 77-M reports.

Utilities use charitable giving to advance policy and political goals

Utilities like SoCalGas often use philanthropy to advance their political and policy. EPI’s 2019 report, Strings Attached: How utilities use charitable giving to influence politics and increase investor profits, found four major tactics that utilities use with non-profit and charitable giving to accomplish their goals. Utilities may have charitable grantees weigh in on political matters in support of the utilities. A company may request that groups speak in favor of a rate increase at the utility regulator or support other company plans in regulatory proceedings.  

Utility companies also often give to organizations that are connected with or favored by key policymakers. These policymakers may sponsor legislation at the behest of the utility or support utility policy positions. Utilities might also give to individuals who are active in their communities and may run for office in the future, building a relationship and favorable impression of the utility.

Companies also use their giving to suppress resistance and dissent among groups that could otherwise speak against the utility’s position. EPI has documented cases where groups changed their mind after meeting with utility executives and receiving funding from utility foundations. 

Finally, utilities also use charitable giving to gain support from organizations representing communities of color or low-income communities. Companies may use the tactics described above to target groups in communities of color doing important work related to affordable housing, racial justice, or civil rights. Utilities will use their donations to these groups to build support among organizations that may not have as much experience with energy issues.

LA’s City Council primary elections are on June 2.