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More ‘Guests’ Dispute Meals With Martinez, Deny Business Talks

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Times Staff Writer

No city business was discussed during a $98.13 meal that San Diego City Councilman Uvaldo Martinez paid for with his city charge card, according to a couple who were asked to join Martinez and his wife for dinner on Dec. 1 at The Butcher Shop Steak House.

John Cunningham, head baseball coach at the University of San Diego, and his wife, Nancy, had no idea that they were being treated to dinner at public expense. Nancy Cunningham said the most eventful part of the evening occurred when a waiter brought a birthday cake for Martinez.

While city records indicate that Martinez discussed “expansion of USD sports complex” during the dinner, Martinez said Saturday night that he talked about the trouble John Cunningham had in raising money to build a new baseball field.

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But Nancy Cunningham said, “There would be no reason for John to explain that. The field is beautiful the way it is.”

Meanwhile, six more people said Saturday that they did not eat meals that Martinez paid for using his city charge account. That brings to 13 the number of public officials, business people and civic leaders who have thus far challenged the accuracy of records Martinez filed with the city auditor’s department, saying they did not eat meals with Martinez on the dates reported.

Councilman Mike Gotch, Poway Mayor Bob Emery and attorney Louis Wolfsheimer are among those who said Saturday that they did not dine with Martinez on the dates he listed on city records.

Wolfsheimer said he was in London on May 30, when city records show he was dining with Martinez at Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant and discussing the San Diego convention center. Wolfsheimer said he has run into Martinez at Dobson’s on occasion but could not recall that the councilman ever picked up the tab.

Emery said he has never eaten at Los Arcos in Escondido, where Martinez claims he bought a $37.44 meal on May 28 for Emery and Poway City Manager Jim Bowersox, who also said he has never eaten at the restaurant. Emery said he can not recall ever eating a meal with Martinez.

Gotch said he did not have “white wine and salad” at Dobson’s Dec. 12 with Martinez and Colorado State Sen. Donald Sandoval, as Martinez has claimed. “I remember meeting the senator there,” Gotch said. “Uvaldo and I were having a drink. But we did not dine together. I recall Uvaldo saying this is the state senator from Colorado. That was the beginning and the end of it.”

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But Martinez insisted that Gotch ate at his table. “As a matter of fact, Mike offered to pick up his portion of it,” Martinez said. “I said, ‘No Mike. It’s OK. I’ll pick it up on my card.’ ”

Gotch said he does not believe Martinez was intentionally providing false information, but he added, “I didn’t have a sense it was serious. Uvaldo has always been gregarious and been generous. I was surprised to hear his generosity included the municipal credit card. It does appear something is unfolding that is greater than any of us expected.”

Martinez said Saturday night that only 13 of about 75 meals listed on city records have been questioned. “It’s very possible that disorganization and bad record-keeping on my part may be a factor. I’m not ready to say that until I examine my records . . . . The only thing I’m sure of is what I did was a legitimate city expense and I reported it. In fact, these questions wouldn’t be asked if I had not reported it.”

He attributed the bookkeeping discrepancies to “a thoroughly disorganized councilman who obviously will have to take a real hard look at how he handles these matters, and that includes certainly a more prudent use of city credit cards.”

A check last week of city records found that Martinez used a city-issued credit card between July 1, 1984, and June 30, 1985, to run up bills of $6,369. Rudy Murillo, Martinez’s aide, used a city credit card to spend $3,132 during the same period, bringing the total for both men to $9,501. The money is paid from funds set aside to run Martinez’s council office.

The value of meals charged by Martinez exceeds the combined amount spent by Councilmen Gotch ($2,468), William Jones ($930), Bill Mitchell ($928) and Mayor Roger Hedgecock ($608) on their city credit cards, records show. Councilwoman Gloria McColl said she does not use a city credit card. Council members also are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.

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But the dinner with the Cunninghams could prove most devastating to Martinez.

City Atty. John Witt said Friday night that he would turn over any evidence of fraud to the district attorney’s office for investigation. “If there is a falsification and these things didn’t happen the way they’re presented on paper, there would be at least a suspicion that there was a theft of public funds.”

Martinez and his wife, Pat, attended a fund-raiser at St. Augustine High School in North Park, from which Martinez graduated, Nancy Cunningham said. John Cunningham, also a St. Augustine alumnus, brought his wife to the same event. At about 11 p.m. the Cunninghams drove to The Butcher Steak House for a late dinner because only hors d’oeuvres were served at the high school benefit.

The Cunninghams bumped into Martinez and his wife in the restaurant lobby, and the councilman asked the couple to join them for his birthday dinner, Nancy Cunningham recalled. Martinez’s daughter was in Nancy Cunningham’s English class three years ago at Our Lady of Peace High School.

Throughout the dinner, Nancy Cunningham said, the couples engaged in social chitchat on topics ranging from the J. David (Jerry) Dominelli affair to use of a Jack Murphy Stadium box by council members.

Nancy Cunningham said she thought it “a little strange” when Martinez offered to pay for the dinner. “He said he’d pick up the tab this time and we’d get it next time. But we don’t see them that often.”

In fact, the last time the Cunninghams saw Martinez before the Dec. 1 dinner was in late 1983 at a victory celebration for Hedgecock at the San Diego Hilton thrown by Dominelli, Nancy Cunningham said. She said she did not know that Martinez had used public funds to pay for the dinner.

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According to records filed by Martinez, he discussed expansion plans for the University of San Diego sports complex during the dinner.

But the Rev. Patrick Cahill, athletic director of USD, said no expansion plans exist. “I don’t know what Martinez would have to do with that,” Cahill said. “If we were contemplating (expansion), John would have nothing to do with it.”

John Cunningham was driving the USD women’s volleyball team bus to Las Vegas and could not be reached for comment.

Told that Martinez said he had discussed complications involved in paying and getting approval for grading the university baseball diamond, Nancy Cunningham responded, “John built that baseball field from the ground up. Anybody who has been there knows it’s fine the way it is . . . My husband would never talk to anybody except the alumnus about (possible funding).”

Martinez confirmed that the dinner occurred on his birthday and that it had not been scheduled. He called it a “random meeting.”

City records show that Martinez and Murillo also discussed city business with guests during lunches and dinners at many exclusive San Diego restaurants. Many of the meals costs more than $100, including a $316 tab for five people on Oct. 18, 1984, at Avanti Restaurant in La Jolla.

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San Diego developer Ray Carpenter said that expensive wines and lots of drinks were responsible for driving up the price of the meals. Carpenter is listed as eating four meals with Martinez and other guests for $530. During a Feb. 12 meal at DiCanti Ristorante in La Jolla, Martinez, Carpenter and his partner, Dick Kipperman, ran up a $230 bill.

“I agree with you it is expensive,” Carpenter told a reporter. “We had good wine. I’m a taxpayer, too. Oh boy, I want to tell you. I’m astounded at those numbers!”

Martinez has said he buys meals for developers and business executives so he won’t feel obligated to them for his vote. But Carpenter and other business leaders said they have purchased meals for Martinez. Carpenter added, “But I didn’t pay for $162 meals.”

Seven people told the Times on Friday that they did not dine with Martinez on the dates he listed in city records.

U.S. Rep. Bill Lowery and his top aide, Dan Greenblat, said they had no recollection of having shared a meal with Martinez in the last year. Lee Grissom, president of the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce, said he never had lunch with Martinez and never discussed the issues listed by the councilman on city records.

On Saturday, developer Chris Mortensen confirmed that he had a Feb. 10 dinner with Martinez at DiCanti, but that his records show he did not have dinner with him at L’Escargot on March 18. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to L’Escargot,” he said.

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Records for the L’Escargot dinner list Mortensen as the only guest and state that the San Diego Art Center was discussed. The bill came to $128.05. Mortensen said he did not discuss the art center with Martinez and that he generally eats light meals with Martinez. He also said that he and Martinez take turns paying the bill.

“When I eat with Uvaldo, it’s a hamburger,” Mortensen said. “With hamburgers, I pick up the check . . . I do all the time. I find it the exception, rather than the rule, with all politicians--even Uvaldo--if they pick up a check.”

In addition, the San Diego Union reported Saturday that Sue Cox, president of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau said she did not recall having any discussions with Martinez at her Cafe del Rey Moro restaurant on Feb. 6 and 14. Cox added that someone meeting with her at her own restaurant is not likely to pick up the tab. The bills were for $12.28 and $7.75.

Jim Dark, dean of learning resources for the San Diego Community College District, said he had no recollection of a Feb. 12 meal at the Atlantis, the Union reported. The cost of the meal was listed at $36.25.

Records show that Martinez paid for meals with two other restaurant owners at their own dining establishments--Bud Alessio at Mister A’s on Jan. 31 for $162 and Tom Fat at Fat City on March 18 for $11.60. Alessio and Fat could not be reached for comment.

Martinez’s colleagues said they were startled by the latest developments. The large meal expenditures were disclosed last week.

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” . . . I don’t like what I see,” said Councilman Bill Mitchell. “I’m trusting and hoping that Uvaldo will be able to explain himself. He’s a nice guy and I hate to see another thing happen to City Hall. If he did wrong, he should pay.”

Dick Murphy, who recently resigned from the council to become a Municipal Court judge, said, “I think being on city council is a pretty fine opportunity. I’m surprised anybody would risk blowing that. . . When you’re in public office, you should at least try to do not only what’s right but what appears to be right.”

Martinez said he hopes to provide a public response by the middle of next week after his staff has thoroughly reviewed his records. He added that his staff has already uncovered a few cases where people he met with were not included in his report.

“I’m at wits’ end at this particular point,” Martinez said. “I’ve tried to deal with this thing openly. Hopefully, I’ll be able to restore public confidence in the council and District 8 in a timely fashion.”

Times staff writers Bill Ritter and Jim Schacter contributed to this story.

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