Officials Recall a Forgotten Foe as Accuser Becomes the Accused

Harry Denver Hunt had been forgotten by many county officials until he was arrested last week for allegedly threatening state Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) and at least a half-dozen other legislators.

Hunt had not been around the Hall of Administration lately, or the courthouse, both haunts during the late 1970s, when he often would strut in and present his “People’s Grand Jury Indictment” of public officials.

“The law says the people can form their own grand jury at any time, so I have convened my own,” Hunt would read from his manifesto. “And my grand jury has indicted the government of Orange County for high crimes and misdemeanors.”

It wasn’t always clear what crimes Hunt was referring to, but that never seemed to trouble the white-haired, bespectacled gadfly. If he couldn’t convince you one day of his plan for saving society, he would try again another day.

Occasionally, bailiffs would be called to remove him physically. “They’re all crooks,” he would shout.

County officials said it’s impossible to predict when a gadfly’s criticism of their performance might turn to serious threats.

“Most people who have a solution or prescription for saving the world just want somebody to listen to them. Then they’re happy,” said an aide to Supervisor Bruce Nestande. “The problem is that sometimes you don’t really pay attention until they become dangerous.”

Decision on Vote-Counting Machinery Delayed by County

Tuesday’s scheduled Board of Supervisors vote on a $1-million contract to purchase new ballot-counting machinery was delayed for two weeks after the three companies competing for the sale stepped up last-minute lobbying efforts, according to board aides.

Frank Michelena, a Costa Mesa-based lobbyist, was taking officials from one of the companies, Sequoia Pacific Systems of San Francisco, around the board offices Monday afternoon, as was former Orange County Supervisor Phil Anthony, on behalf of Berkeley-based Computer Election Systems.

Meanwhile, DFM Associates of Irvine, the firm recommended for the contract by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by the supervisors, had last-minute letters and brochures delivered to board offices.

The county is scrapping the existing $1.6-million vote-counting system after only five years of operation because of unexpectedly high ballot-printing costs and the system’s slow performance.

The existing system was purchased --over the objections of a county advisory group--from the Valtec Co. of Tulsa, Okla., after an intensive lobbying campaign in which Valtec hired lobbyist Lyle Overby, who earlier had served on the staffs of former Supervisors Ralph Diedrich and Robert Battin.

Nestande May Forgo Some Donations to Safeguard Vote

Orange County Supervisor Bruce Nestande, who plans to announce his campaign for lieutenant governor in a week or two, said he may forgo some campaign contributions that could jeopardize his vote on matters before the board.

The county’s campaign finance and conflict of interest ordinance, known as TIN CUP (Time Is Now, Clean Up Politics) prohibits a supervisor from voting on matters affecting major donors to any board member or “a controlled committee of that member.”

The 1978 ordinance defines a major donor as any firm or individual contributing more than $1,534 to a supervisor in any 48-month period.

This month’s posting of major donors by the county registrar of voters shows Nestande with 31 major donors, which accounted for $114,603.25 in campaign contributions in the 48 months prior to May 6.

Among the donors are the Irvine Co.’s Donald Bren (through his Donald L. Bren Co.), Fluor Corp., Allergan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dominick and Georgia Frontiere (owners of the Rams), the county’s apartment owners’ and medical associations, the United Auto Workers, Joan Irvine Smith, Straub Distributing Co., which is a major beer distributor, and the Santiago Corp., a Santa Ana-based development firm.

Nestande, while maintaining that the money involved is not critical to his statewide race, nevertheless acknowledged that he is seeking legal opinions from Dist. Atty. Cecil Hicks, County Counsel Adrian Kuyper and his own personal counsel in an effort to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, the woman who organized and led the effort on behalf of the ordinance, Shirley Grindle, said, “As far as I’m concerned, the ordinance applies to a supervisor’s statewide campaign. If he (Nestande) thinks otherwise, I’ll see him in court.”