Ferraro Brands Bradley as ‘Morally Corrupt’

Councilman John Ferraro, in one of his most strongly worded attacks on Mayor Tom Bradley, Monday called him “morally corrupt” and questioned whether Bradley approved oil drilling in Pacific Palisades in exchange for political support for a future gubernatorial race.

Ferraro presented what he admitted was a “hypothetical scenario” in which he said Bradley’s support for Occidental Petroleum’s controversial drilling plan could be linked to financial contributions Bradley could receive if he chose to run again for governor next year. Ferraro said Occidental and the law firm that represented its case--Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Tunney--would have the ability to generate huge sums of money to bolster a Bradley gubernatorial bid. Asked if he was saying that Bradley was corrupt, Ferraro said, “Morally, he’s corrupt. His desire to be governor is so overwhelming, it’s eating him up. He will sell out City Hall to be governor.”

Bradley initially declined to comment on the latest charges by his main challenger in April’s election, saying, “It’s campaign time. I’m not going to help him by responding to that.”

Denied Scenario

Later, under persistent questioning by reporters, the mayor, in effect, denied Ferraro’s scenario.

“Maybe John Ferraro operates that way, but I don’t,” Bradley said.

“I would hope he (Ferraro) would stop dealing in this political innuendo,” said Bradley, adding, “I will not respond to each and every allegation as silly as this. He knows it’s wrong and incorrect.”

Ferraro’s charges were made at a City Hall press conference that he held to discuss the mayor’s backing last month of Occidental Petroleum’s drilling plan.

The mayor’s approval came as a surprise, because his opposition to Occidental’s plan was a cornerstone of his 1973 campaign for mayor and because he vetoed the project in 1978. Ferraro, on the other hand, has consistently supported Occidental’s desire to drill.

However, in spite of his own support of the drilling, Ferraro said Monday that it was “wrong” for Bradley to change his mind and support it also.

“The issue is not what his position is, but why he switched,” Ferraro said. “It was wrong the way he switched it. “