Records Reveal More Martinez Meal Charges

Councilman Uvaldo Martinez’s expensive dining habits continued during the months of June and July when he used his city credit card to pay for 21 meals worth $1,134.61, according to new records released Friday.

The meals include a June 18 dinner at Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant for $209.06 during which Martinez reported that he discussed “downtown revitalization” with KFMB television personality Kathi Diamant and two other guests, according to the forms signed by Martinez. Channel 8 said Diamant is out of town until next month.

Martinez also reported that he entertained Alfonso Fierro, owner of Alfonso’s in La Jolla, on three occasions this summer at public expense to discuss Fierro’s attempts to open a new restaurant in the Meridian luxury condominiums in downtown San Diego. One of the meals at Dobson’s cost $198.94. Repeated attempts to contact Fierro Friday to question him about the meals proved unsuccessful.

Since he hired a public relations man and a defense attorney this week, Martinez has declined to comment on statements by 24 people who said they were not present at 19 meals that appear on his credit card reports from last fiscal year. The new revelations bring the total amount of meals Martinez charged on his city credit card since June, 1984, to $7,504.23. In addition, his top aide, Rudy Murillo, charged $3,132.63 in meals on his city credit card.

The San Diego County district attorney’s office Friday received credit card vouchers, receipts and a city auditor’s report regarding Martinez’s expenditures, spokesman Steve Casey said. He said that, based on news reports and a preliminary look at the documents, an investigation appeared likely.

“What’s going to happen now is, come Monday, our investigators will start going through the material to determine what’s there, what more may be needed and whether, in their estimation, going forward with a field investigation will be warranted,” Casey said. “They will discuss it with the district attorney and he will give them their marching orders.”

Casey said that the district attorney’s office also requested additional information regarding Martinez’s expenditures from the city auditor.

Martinez reported that on June 26 he bought $9.30 in drinks for himself and national political consultant Ken Rietz in a Washington hotel to discuss the “growth initiative” campaign (Proposition A), according to city records. But Rietz said he bought dinner for Martinez on that date at another restaurant and could not recall Martinez paying for any drinks. It is illegal for politicians to use city money to pay for political campaign activities.

The latest records include three meals with Rudy Martinez, a close friend and longtime supporter of Uvaldo Martinez. The recent meals mean that Uvaldo Martinez has reported spending $770 in public money for 11 meals with supporters Rudy Martinez and Gil Contreras, a San Diego developer. Both Rudy Martinez and Contreras did not return numerous phone calls this week.

Adrian Pedrin, who owns three restaurants in Mexico, refused to confirm or deny two meals he and other guests reportedly ate with Martinez at public expense worth a total of $317.69.

Attorney Paul Robinson, who represents developers, confirmed that he ate with Martinez on July 29 at the Marine Room in La Jolla. The meal cost $95.16 and city records say the purpose was an ordinance affecting Golden Hill.

“I remember eating dinner with Uvaldo there, sure,” said Robinson. “We talked about one of our favorite topics, the Otay sewer participation agreement with the city.” Robinson said he is representing a developer in the Otay Mesa area and it is his job to keep Martinez “briefed on the ins and outs about the area.”

Robinson also said he remembered talking about how a new interim ordinance restricting development in Golden Hill was “affecting the building industry.”

The attorney said that he and Martinez “see each other socially occasionally, so I don’t recall who invited who on this.”

He did say, however, that he has paid for dinner with Martinez, who has previously said he felt compelled to charge meals with developers and downtown businessmen on his city credit card so he won’t be beholden to them.

Martinez’s attorney, William Grauer, has said he hopes to provide the councilman with a full report on the meals sometime next month.