The daughter of a longshoreman father and immigrant mother, Mara was the first in her family to graduate from college, attending UC Santa Barbara and McGeorge School of Law. Always dedicated to public service, Mara served as legal counsel to public schools, the transit district, and the County of San Diego and was a Chief Deputy City Attorney before winning election in 2016.
Through Mara’s leadership, courts have removed over 400 firearms, including 40 assault weapons, from people who posed a threat to themselves and others, including stalkers, students, and the mentally ill.
Mara is also the author of San Diego’s Safe Storage of Firearms Ordinance which requires responsible storage of weapons in the home to prevent child gun deaths and crack down on stolen guns. Mara ’s innovative gun safety agenda has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.
Cory Briggs, the San Diego lawyer who challenged Elliott’s re-election bid last fall, said volunteer consultants like Hughes are subject to conflict-of-interest laws whether the payments are disclosed or not.
Elliott’s announcement represents a reversal for the city attorney.
Debris covers a patio area at the former Sempra Energy building at 101 Ash Street in downtown San Diego on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune) The Union-Tribune reported late Monday that Hughes, who advised the city on the deal, was paid $4.4 million for securing the Ash Street deal in early 2017 ...
In 2015, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his new task force to help develop a plan for a new Chargers stadium in San Diego. Standing among the newly formed task force were that attended the press conference were Rod Dammeyer, left and Jason Hughes, right.
But after Elliott signed off on the lease, city officials learned that the property could not be safely occupied.
Neither Elliott nor Gloria responded to follow-up questions from the Union-Tribune about the money Hughes was paid. A Cisterra spokesman told the Union-Tribune on Monday that Hughes represented to the company that he had written permission from the city to collect fees on the two transactions.