Supporters of the Pico Rivera casino measure have said they were puzzled by the fact that the Commerce Club reported spending so little to defeat the initiative, while the Bicycle Club of nearby Bell Gardens spent more than $97,000 through two committees. Save Our City officials were not available. Mintz, citing advice from his attorney, declined to comment on the case. After inquiries from The Times, the committee filed an amended statement showing that Mintz’s firm, Stateside Communications, actually contributed a total of $19,360 to the campaign, most of it in nonmonetary forms. However, Hal Mintz, who has worked as a consultant for the Commerce casino, contributed $3,000 to Save Our City. Commerce Club documents don’t show any contributions were made to the committee, and Save Our City’s documents don’t show that any money was received from the club. The lawsuit also alleges that the Commerce Club did not disclose that it contributed to another Pico Rivera committee, Save Our City, which sent mailers warning of the “wicked web” of narcotics traffic and loan-sharking that would ensnare the city if a casino was approved.

“For me to receive contributions would be hypocritical.” “Just to set the record straight, I have never had any dealings with the Commerce Club or any other card club,” Ochoa said in an interview. But the committee did not report any contributions from the club, and its founder denies any affiliation with the casino.