McDade to Resign June 1 as Chief of Staff for Hedgecock

J. Michael McDade, Mayor Roger Hedgecock’s chief of staff, said Friday he is resigning effective June 1. He is the third key Hedgecock aide--and the most important--to quit since the mayor narrowly escaped a felony conviction in February.

In losing McDade, Hedgecock loses a man many say was often able to convince the strong-willed mayor to change his mind about tactics and issues. With a deep background in conservative politics, McDade served as the liaison to mainstream Republicans and businessmen, many of whom were offended by Hedgecock’s biting style and grass-roots appeal.

McDade was intimately involved in the recent negotiations over out-of-court settlements to Hedgecock’s legal woes. But he said Friday that the breakdown of those talks did not influence his decision to leave.

Instead, McDade cited the cumulative emotional pressure during the last year of controversy, along with financial considerations, as the reasons for resigning his $56,400 post.

“This last year of turmoil in connection with the trial has been a real emotional strain on my family,” he said. “I think at this point I owe them a chance to calm down and relax for a while and do the best I can.”

On Feb. 13, a Superior Court jury reported that it was deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Hedgecock on 13 felony conspiracy and perjury counts.

Thirteen days later, Hedgecock’s press secretary, Elizabeth Brafford, announced her departure. Immediately following was Michel Anderson, Hedgecock’s assistant for business development.

Before those departures were announced, McDade told Hedgecock privately that he too would resign. McDade had set April 1 to announce the resignation, but it was delayed until Friday because of McDade’s involvement in the plea-bargain negotiations.

At a City Hall press conference, Hedgecock tried to put the best face on McDade’s resignation by talking up the “new spring lineup” of staff members. He announced a promotion, a new assistant for policy and program development, and a new press secretary.

He also brushed aside suggestions that the resignations of Brafford, Anderson and McDade could be construed as bad omens for him.

“It certainly shouldn’t,” said Hedgecock. “The three people have spoken for themselves about why they’re going. And today, we’re announcing two excellent people as coming into the two positions we’ve talked about.

“It seems to me that what we’re showing and continuing to show is legislative achievement, achievement of the promises I made in the campaign, continuation of the vigorous leadership that’s come out of this office. I have no intention of slowing down a bit.”

Hedgecock’s staff changes include:

- David Nielson, 40, who will replace McDade. Neilson has been Hedgecock’s assistant for policy and program development. He also has held numerous county government positions.

- Laurie McKinley, 34, who will take Nielson’s place. Before signing on with Hedgecock, McKinley founded a government and land-use consulting business.

- Press Secretary Mel Buxbaum, 54. Buxbaum, a former executive vice president of the William F. Arens & Associates advertising agency of La Jolla, said he has never worked for a politician, but has handled advertising accounts for the San Diego Sockers and Frozfruit, an all-natural frozen fruit product.

In his debut before reporters, Buxbaum declined to say whether he had voted for Hedgecock (“That’s why they’ve got a curtain over the booth.”) or whether he was taking a pay cut to fill the $36,000-a-year job (“I don’t believe that’s relevant.”).

When a reporter asked how much he was being paid, Buxbaum appeared pained and looked at Hedgecock. “I’ve always been uncomfortable with people looking in my wallet,” he said.

“It’s on the public record, so you might as well tell them,” Hedgecock advised.

Buxbaum also said he applied to be spokesman after reading about Brafford’s resignation. He said part of the reason he wanted to be press secretary for a mayor under indictment is that San Diego “is a marvelous city” and Hedgecock is the best mayor the city has had.

Asked why he would take a job that he could lose in six or seven months if Hedgecock is convicted in a second trial and thrown out of office, Buxbaum said: “Because I don’t perceive it as such. I don’t think it will be a six- or seven-month term.”

Despite Hedgecock’s other announcements, the biggest news was about McDade, who told reporters that he would continue to give advice to Hedgecock, help with the mayor’s efforts to revitalize downtown and aid Las Vegas attorney Oscar B. Goodman in preparing for Hedgecock’s second trial on felony conspiracy and perjury charges.

“I happen to believe that Roger Hedgecock is innocent,” McDade said. “I think the second trial will prove that.”

The affable McDade, 45, is a former high school government teacher who took to politics in the 1960s and worked his way up the local Republican Party structure. He has handled mayoral or city council campaigns for U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, U.S. Rep. Bill Lowery and county Supervisor Susan Golding. He also dispenses informal advice to people like Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego) and Councilman Dick Murphy.

In 1971, McDade was introduced to an ambitious young environmental attorney named Roger Hedgecock. The two became friends, then political allies. After Hedgecock’s election as a county supervisor, McDade joined his staff as executive assistant in 1978 and started a career as one of those non-elected staff people with strong influence.

During his year and a half as Hedgecock’s top aide, McDade perfected a style of quiet persuasion with the sometimes impulsive supervisor, say former staff members.

“He was a very calming force with Roger,” said Dan Kelley, who worked as Hedgecock’s office manager before joining the county marshal’s office.

Kelley said that, on a particularly sensitive subject, McDade would “wait until an opportune moment, (then) go in and, when Roger calmed down and in a very cool manner, present the other side of things. They had a mutual respect for each other, and that’s what made it work so well.”

McDade described his relationship with Hedgecock this way: “I’m the other side of his brain.”

One former staffer, who asked not to be identified, remembered a time when, as a supervisor, Hedgecock led a charge to cut funding for the Economic Development Corporation. Enraged members of the business community called McDade, who relayed the message in a telephone call during a break. At the same meeting, Hedgecock called for a reconsideration of the matter, switched his vote and restored the item in the budget.

McDade left Hedgecock’s county staff in 1979 to run Wilson’s mayoral campaign. But he teamed up with Hedgecock again in 1983 to run his successful mayoral campaign. He then became the mayor’s chief of staff, running a staff of 20 with a budget of $750,000.

Although McDade was Hedgecock’s campaign director in 1983, he remained relatively unscathed by the scandal connected to that race, while his boss was the subject of news stories and investigations.

McDade suffered one close call when a second grand jury voted to name him as a target of its probe into allegations that Hedgecock and others conspired to illegally launder tens of thousands of dollars into the campaign.

Other targets were Hedgecock, political consultant Tom Shepard and J. David & Co. executives J. David (Jerry) Dominelli and Nancy Hoover.

“That was one of the low days of my life, when I learned I was under investigation,” said McDade. “I was absolutely shocked. It was the first time in 44 years that anyone ever challenged my integrity.”

Unlike the other targets, McDade decided to testify before the grand jury. He credits his willingness to talk with saving him from an indictment.

McDade said Friday that, in addition to the emotional pressure, he took a pay cut to take the chief of staff job, and that his savings are nearly depleted. Within a year, he said, he will have three daughters and a wife in college, “an awesome burden for someone to have to undertake.”

McDade added that he has yet to seek a new job. An attorney, he said he may go into private practice or seek a position with a private firm.