'Mystery company' buys $800M of land near California's Travis AFB

PURCHASE. TONIGHT WE ARE DIGGING INTO FLANNERY ASSOCIATES. THE FIRM JUST 5500 ACRES OF FARMLAND IN SOLANO COUNTY, INCLUDING NEAR TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEARLY DOUBLE THE SIZE OF SAN FRANCISCO, YET NO ONE, NOT EVEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, CAN FIGURE OUT WHO WAS BEHIND IT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY A MYSTERIOUS COMPANY HAS PURCHASED NEARLY $1 BILLION OF LAND SURROUNDING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE. ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL MILITARY BASES IN THE WESTERN U.S.. DEMOCRATIC -- A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN PROMPTED A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. >> IN YOUR BRIEFINGS ON THE MATTER, DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THE PURCHASE OF THIS LAND IS FIRST BY? >> I HAVE EVERY REASON IN THE WORLD IS TO BELIEVE THIS LAND IS IN AN AREA IN WHICH SPY OPERATIONS OR ANY OTHER NEFARIOUS ACTIVITY COULD TAKE PLACE AND COULD DETRIMENTALLY IMPACT THE ABILITY OF TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE TO OPERATE IN A MOMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY. STEPHANIE: PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW THE COMPANY, FLANNERY ASSOCIATES LLC, BEGAN PURCHASING THE LAND IN 2018. INVESTIGATORS SAY THOSE ACQUISITIONS RAMPED UP THIS YEAR. >> NOW LITERALLY THREE SIDES OF THAT BASE IS TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY THE FLANNERY GROUP. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHERE DID THEY GET THE MONEY THAT THEY CAN PAY FIVE TO 10 TIMES THE NORMAL VALUE THAT OTHERS WOULD PAY FOR THIS FARMLAND? STEPHANIE: EIGHT MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION, YET -- >> WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM. STEPHANIE: DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE CHINA IS TIED TO THIS GROUP? >> I HAVE REASON TO BE CONCERNED. STEPHANIE: HE SAYS AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTING FLANNERY ASSOCIATES INDICATED THE FIRM IS MADE UP OF A FAMILY -- MADE UP OF FAMILIES LOOKING TO DIVERSIFY THEIR PORTFOLIOS, INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL LAND. BUT THE CONGRESSMAN IS SKEPTICAL. >> WE HAVE HEARD SCHEME AFTER SCHEME. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. WE WILL BUILD A DEEPWATER PORT. REALLY? AROUND TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, 10 MILES FROM THE BAY? WE ARE GOING TO FARM. WELL, AT THAT PRICE YOU WILL LOSE A LOT OF MONEY FORMING. WE WILL BUILD A CITY. NO, YOU WILL NOT BUILD A CITY HERE FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS. NONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE LAND IS BEING ACQUIRED MAKE ANY SENSE. STEPHANIE: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HAPPENING? >> I DON'T KNOW. STEPHANIE: ACCORDING TO HIM, FLANNERY ASSOCIATES ALSO ACQUIRED LAND AROUND THE INTERSTATE ELECTRICAL GRID SYSTEM, FROM THE COLUMBIA RIVER INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THIS INCLUDES LAND THAT HOUSES WIND TURBINES THAT PROVIDE POWER TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. >> IT IS THE SECRECY. WHAT IS GOING ON? IF YOU ARE NOT A NEFARIOUS OPERATION, WHY ARE YOU KEEPING IT SECRET? STEPHANIE: THE I-TEAM REACHED OUT TO FLANNERY ASSOCIATES FOR COMMENT. WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK. THE CONGRESSMAN SAYS THIS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE FARMING COMMUNITY IN SOLANO COUNTY. HE SAYS AT LEAST 10 LAND OWNERS ARE BEING ACCUSED BY FLANNERY IN AN ILLEGAL SCHEME TO PREVENT FLANNERY FROM BUYING THEIR LAND. THERE IS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS. DAN: THAT IS THE

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 954,493

Keywords: news, travis afb, travis air force base, Flannery Associates LLC, John Garamendi, solano county, i team, United States Air Force, federal investigation, fairfield, vacaville

Id: 8mkZ28AiOF8

Length: 3min 25sec (205 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 21 2023