A long-running fight over housing in one of Southern California’s most affluent coastal communities has pulled California Attorney General Rob Bonta into a widening controversy, with questions now being raised about political donations allegedly linked to the developer’s side of the dispute.
Del Mar City Council members voted this month to call on San Diego County District Attorney officials and U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon to examine Bonta, as well as businessman Mark Arabo, a member of the Del Mar Fairgrounds board.
At the center of the request are campaign contributions from individuals connected to Arabo, alongside the city’s years-long clash over a proposed housing development in the seaside community just north of San Diego.
The council’s move appeared to follow a letter from Del Mar resident Debrah Barnes, according to Voice of San Diego. In it, Barnes raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest tied to Seaside Ridge, a controversial residential project proposed for the city.
The Seaside Ridge development, first introduced in 2022, calls for 259 housing units but has repeatedly failed to win approval from Del Mar officials, including another rejection as recently as May. City leaders have argued the application remains incomplete, while property owner Carol Lazier maintains she is not required to submit the disputed materials.
The disagreement has since moved into the courts, with Seaside and the city of Del Mar locked in ongoing litigation over the project and the application process.
The legal battle is unfolding as California officials push cities to move faster on affordable housing and comply with state housing mandates. Bonta entered the dispute last December, telling Del Mar it must provide Lazier with a clear path forward, and later alleged in March that the city was running afoul of state housing law.
Barnes’ letter suggested there may be additional circumstances surrounding Bonta’s involvement. It noted that real estate agent Brian Guiltinan, who is part of the Seaside team, made four donations to Bonta’s re-election campaign in June 2024, contributing a combined $18,200.
“The issue is not whether misconduct occurred,” Barnes wrote in the letter. “The issue is whether the public can have confidence that decisions regarding Seaside Ridge have been made free of undisclosed influence and without preferential access.”
Arabo’s role in the dispute centers on his opposition to an affordable housing project at the Del Mar Fairgrounds — while simultaneously expressing support for Seaside at board meetings.
City officials pointed out that Arabo, who donated the same amount to Bonta, hired Guiltinan as an agent when purchasing a home in 2024.
The fairgrounds project is tied to Seaside because if the affordable housing plan fails to materialize, the city would have to turn to the Seaside project instead
“Simply put, Ms. Lazier’s Seaside Ridge project stands to benefit if affordable housing is not timely developed at the Fairgrounds,” city officials claimed.
But Arabo denied the allegations in a letter to the city, saying he was unaware of Guiltinan’s connection to Seaside and never discussed the project privately.
He also said he has “zero interest” in whatever happens to the project.
Attorneys for Seaside Ridge also blasted the letter by Barnes.
“The city’s apparent attempt to improperly use its official authority to threaten the project and state officials based on misconstrued, incomplete and unsubstantiated assertions is nothing less than outrageous,” wrote Brooke Miller, a representative of Seaside Ridge’s legal team.
“The city’s narrative seems to imply that simply having relationships or communicating with public officials is somehow suspicious.”
The California Post reached out to Bonta’s office for comment.
A city official clarified to the Voice of San Diego that it was not accusing anyone of wrongdoing but simply referring a resident complaint to the proper authority.
It’s unclear if the county DA or US Attorney will pick up the matter. The Post reached out to both offices regarding Del Mar’s request.
