WEST COVINA >> Despite claiming to be their own largest contributors at last week’s candidate forum, council candidates Rob Sotelo and Andrew McIntyre’s biggest contributions actually came from companies they voted in favor of while appointed members of the council.

McIntyre, Sotelo and candidate Karin Armbrust’s campaign finances filed in September show the bulk of the trio’s funding comes from nearly identical sources, namely developers and companies associated with the city. The three candidates listed few donations from West Covina residents and many of the individuals who did donate have close ties with the companies who filled 90 percent of their coffers.

Armbrust referred to her campaign as “grass-roots” at the Oct. 2 forum, less than two weeks after her treasurer filed a campaign statement showing she received the vast majority of her $23,591 total from companies and their associates.

Armbrust said at the forum that she had received $23,000 in contributions, but she did not know who her largest contribution came from.

Sotelo and Armbrust shared the same largest contributor. Both received approximately $10,000 in separate contributions from Athens Services and ten limited liability corporations registered to Ron Arakelian Jr., who owns 36 percent of Athens stocks. Sotelo previously voted to approve a 25-year contract with Athens in 2012.

Officially, Athens only donated $1,000 to Sotelo, Armburst and McIntyre. However, Armbrust and Sotelo also received separate $999 donations from each of the Arakelian family’s associated LLCs.

West Covina limits contributions to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for entities. Candidates must combine contributions from multiple entities if those entities are “directed and controlled” by the same individual, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Michael Arakelian owns the controlling shares — 50 percent — of Athens.

Sotelo told the audience at the forum that the largest contributor to his campaign was himself. His filing showed he loaned himself $13,700 for an earlier campaign in 2005 and that he carried that debt over to his new campaign.

“I’ll have to look at my Form 460,” Sotelo said Tuesday when asked if the $10,000 from Athens and its associates constitutes a conflict of interest.

McIntyre also claimed he was his largest contributor at the forum, but the financial statement shows he only loaned himself $1,000. His filing includes approximately $2,500 total in separate contributions from SEL Homes LLC, Baldwin Park Homes LLC and David Cook — who donated to Sotelo and Armbrust as well. Both SEL Homes and Baldwin Park Homes were registered under Cook’s name, according to the Secretary of State’s website. All three listed the same address on the filing.

Sotelo and McIntyre previously voted to support a project by WC Homes, an LLC also registered to Cook, to build 135 town homes on an industrial site off San Bernardino Road.

McIntyre received a total of $14,325 in contributions.

Candidate James Toma had the most campaign funds with roughly $45,000 raised. The deputy attorney general’s contributions came from other attorneys and politicians, including donations from the campaigns of Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, State Controller John Chiang and Assemblyman Rob Bonta.

The other candidates’ campaign totals include $2,528 raised by Kimberly Caceres; $5,350 raised by Mike Spence; $$5,105 raised by Lloyd Johnson; $26,201 raised by Corey Warshaw; and $2,200 raised by Armando D’Avila.

Warshaw loaned himself $20,000 for his campaign and D’Avila’s only contribution came from a $2,200 loan to himself.