Governor talks, and funds flow

The governor received a pledge of $10,000 for his climate summit from Applied Materials, a semiconductor company in Sunnyvale that he visited on Oct. 9 to dedicate a solar installation. SunPower Corp., which made the panels, chipped in $10,000. After the dedication, Schwarzenegger spoke at a forum held at the Sunnyvale site by TechNet, a political alliance of technology executives that contributed $15,000 to the California Dream Team 2 1/2 weeks later.

The Auto Alliance's vice president, Gloria Bergquist, said Schwarzenegger met with the group and urged its member car companies to innovate. The association approached the governor again when it sought to educate motorists about EcoDriving, which is popular in Europe.

"He agreed that consumers did need to be more aware," Bergquist said. "And so he volunteered."

The donation was unrelated, she said; the alliance has made annual contributions since 2005 to help Schwarzenegger with his priorities.

At the Staples Center, the governor's appearance followed a challenge that Schwarzenegger issued for the arena's operator to become more environmentally friendly, said Timothy Leiweke, chief executive of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, commonly known as AEG. The company responded by installing waterless urinals and launching the solar project.

"He loves what we've done with the building," Leiweke said. "Arnold's been a leader worldwide, so it was an easy decision to make sure that if he was available, he was there to snap in the last panel."

Within three days of that event, AEG and its executives donated $71,000, including the cost of the Staples Center fundraiser, to the Dream Team account and the Proposition 11 campaign. Leiweke said the timing of the events was coincidental, adding that he was unable to influence Schwarzenegger only a few days later, when the governor proposed a 5% tax on ticket sales that could hurt his company

Schwarzenegger has assisted AEG before, signing a controversial bill the company pushed last year allowing $30 million in bonds intended for affordable housing to be used to improve the area near the Staples Center and L.A. Live.

In February, the governor presented the winner's jersey in a bike race AEG operates, the Amgen Tour of California. Amgen, the race's main sponsor, develops medicines using biotechnology. It has donated $27,500 to Schwarzenegger this year, including $2,500 six days after the race.

"People always think that there is a connection where we're buying favor or buying a vote, but that couldn't be further from the truth," Leiweke said. "I don't buy favor with the governor. I get behind initiatives that I believe in."

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michael.rothfeld@latimes.com