GEO, meanwhile, gave $58,000 to Schwarzenegger's campaign committees in October and November 2003, as the state was making final plans to close the company's prison at McFarland.
Schwarzenegger, who took office in October 2003, could have interceded and blocked the closure, which took place at the end of 2003.
But officials justified the closure by citing what they said was a drop in low-security inmates.
Executives at Correctional Properties and GEO in Florida did not return calls from The Times this week.
But in a 2003 interview, a top GEO executive said: "We want to do everything we can to preserve our business base in California."
One step was to hire the Flanigan Law Firm to influence Schwarzenegger's inner circle of advisors -- something it is well-positioned to do. The firm consists of four brothers who were close to Wilson and his administration. Several former Wilson aides are high-ranking Schwarzenegger administration members.
The Flanigans' business has turned bullish since Schwarzenegger took office. Its billings rose 45% to $2.1 million in the first three quarters of 2004 over the same period in 2003, when Davis was in office.
According to public reports filed with the secretary of state, GEO has paid Flanigan $37,500 for its services.
GEO also retained Joe Rodota, a former Wilson aide who was policy director for the Schwarzenegger recall campaign.
As a consultant, Rodota cannot directly contact decision makers to influence them, and is not obligated to report his clients and billings. His role was to provide strategic advice and develop a long-term strategy for GEO's reentry into the private prison business in California, company representatives in Sacramento said.
Correctional Properties, meanwhile, appointed Arduin to its board of trustees on Oct. 28.
In announcing her appointment, Charles R. Jones, Correctional Properties' president, said in a statement that Arduin's "insight into the allocation of financial resources within the government appropriation and spending process will be a valuable resource."
