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Legislators, aides took $125,000 in free Disney tickets

Published: Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012 - 3:59 pm
Last Modified: Friday, Aug. 17, 2012 - 11:41 am

Many California families save for months to afford a trip to Disneyland. Many California legislators go for free, courtesy of the Walt Disney Company.

Since 2000, Disney has given about $125,000 in theme park tickets to legislators and their aides, according to a Bee review of records kept by the California Secretary of State. At current prices, that's equivalent to about 1,500 free tickets. A bill that died in committee Thursday would have largely banned such gifts. (Search all gifts to legislators and aides using our updated database.)

Some legislators gave their free tickets to aides. Some passed them on to constituents who couldn't otherwise afford to go. Many legislators, though, just took their families to Disneyland.

This chart shows current and former legislators taking the most free Disney tickets since 2000.
Each represents $200 in free theme park tickets taken since 2000.


Tom Harman

Audra Strickland

Sam Aanestad

Tom Berryhill

Cameron Smyth

Ron Calderon

Mimi Walters

Alberto Torrico

Juan Vargas

Roy Ashburn

Tony Strickland

Bob Margett

Ed Chavez

Don Perata

Fabian Nunez

Note: Includes tickets given directly to spouses and children of legislators, with the exception of Audra and Tony Strickland, who are married to one another.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Read more articles by Phillip Reese



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