DEL MAR — The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has rejected the City of Del Mar’s request to investigate California’s attorney general and a member of the state board overseeing the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
On Aug. 3, the Del Mar City Council voted to have the city attorney formally ask both the district attorney and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California to investigate ties between Brian Guiltinian, an adviser and broker for the proposed Seaside Ridge housing project, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 22nd District Agricultural Association board member Mark Arabo.
The city attorney sent the letter Aug. 7.
The City Council based its complaint on a letter it received in July from resident Debrah Barnes, who pointed out that Guiltinian served as Arabo’s real estate agent when he purchased a new family home in 2024 and that records show both Guiltinian and Arabo contributed to Bonta’s election campaign.
Bonta, as attorney general, has formally warned the city that it must meet its state-mandated goals to provide below-market-rate housing for low-income residents, specifically citing Carol Lazier’s proposed 259-unit Seaside Ridge project in the North Bluff neighborhood, which is now tied up in litigation between the city and Lazier.
Arabo, as a 22nd DAA board member, was involved in the decision to scrap a proposed low-income housing project at the fairgrounds, which could have allowed the city to meet its state mandate without rezoning to accommodate the Lazier project.
However, on Oct. 1, the district attorney’s office sent a strongly worded letter to the Del Mar city attorney that not only rejected the city’s request for a criminal investigation into Bonta and Arabo but also questioned the request itself.
The letter, which is included in the agenda for Tuesday’s 22nd DAA board meeting, stated in part:
“Despite several efforts, we have not been able to confirm the complaining party’s identity or legitimacy as a complainant.”
The district attorney’s letter also noted that Bonta’s office has been involved in numerous low-income housing disputes.
The letter to Del Mar closed by stating:
“As an aside, we wanted to convey that the way this complaint was referred was very irregular, especially with the media publicity surrounding its submission. Historically, referrals of this nature have been communicated directly to the Public Integrity Unit rather than through public channels.”
