Associates Expect Hedgecock to Resign, Not ‘Delay Inevitable’

Mayor Roger Hedgecock probably will resign, perhaps as early as next week, rather than wait to be forced from office next month when he is sentenced for his conviction on 13 felony counts stemming from illegal campaign contributions, sources close to the mayor said Thursday.

Hedgecock, who spent Thursday at his City Hall office for a day of work that his press secretary described as being “as normal as possible under the circumstances,” has made no public statements about his plans since a Superior Court jury convicted him Wednesday of one conspiracy count and 12 perjury charges.

However, associates of the mayor said Thursday that he plans to resign rather than, as one aide put it, “delay the inevitable” by postponing his departure from City Hall until Judge William L. Todd Jr. sentences him on Nov. 6.

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“He sees the situation for what it is,” one Hedgecock confidant said. “It’s just not in his nature to hang on when there’s nothing to hang onto.”

Hedgecock, who also was acquitted of two felony perjury charges and a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest count, could face eight years’ imprisonment and loss of his law license as a result of his conviction.

City Atty. John W. Witt has said that Hedgecock would be forced to resign when he is sentenced, even if the mayor appeals his conviction by an eight-woman, four-man jury on charges that he received illegal donations in his 1983 race and falsified financial disclosure statements to cover up the scheme.

Some lawyers, however, said that Hedgecock might be able to challenge, on constitutional grounds, any effort to force him from office before conclusion of his appeals.

But Hedgecock apparently has decided not to fight to hold onto his office pending the outcome of his appeals--an approach that the mayor views, in the words of one aide, as “wrong for both him and the city.”

“He’s not going to wait until the end (to step down),” said one associate of the mayor. “He’d like to handle this as gracefully as possible, so he’s not going to wait to get pushed over the edge.”

Mel Buxbaum, Hedgecock’s press secretary, said that, during an emotional meeting with his staff Thursday morning, the mayor thanked his aides “for keeping the city’s business running so smoothly” during his 10-week retrial and encouraged them “to keep things moving along so that there can be an orderly transition of power” to his successor.

“He said he didn’t want there to be any delays or bogging down of city business,” Buxbaum added. “But he made it very clear that his concerns at this point are his family, his staff and the city, in that order.”

Hedgecock’s only public comments since his conviction came at a brief City Hall news conference shortly after the jury returned with its verdict early Wednesday afternoon after 6 1/2 days of deliberations. Saying that he needed time to “regroup my thoughts,” the 39-year-old Hedgecock promised to make “a more extensive statement on a lot of very obvious questions in a day or two.”

The mayor’s staff has informed aides to City Councilman Bill Mitchell that “he’ll make his plans known to us next Monday,” according to Joe Davis, Mitchell’s administrative assistant. By virtue of being deputy mayor, a largely ceremonial post rotated annually among the eight council members, Mitchell would become acting mayor if Hedgecock resigned or was ousted.

The council is due to select a new deputy mayor in December. Because the council is expected to call a special election to select Hedgecock’s successor, the vote on the next deputy mayor could be considerably more important than usual because the increased visibility would be a vital asset to a council member with mayoral aspirations.

Although several City Council members have suggested publicly that Hedgecock should resign before Nov. 6, none of them say that they will pressure Hedgecock to follow their advice.

“I think it would be in the best interests of Roger and the city if he stepped down now,” Mitchell said. “He has things that he has to think about, and it’s important that we assure the public that there’s not going to be chaos, that we’re not going to miss a beat because of this. But my feeling is that it’s up to Roger to make that decision.”

Similarly, City Councilwoman Gloria McColl said that she believes that it “would be appropriate for (Hedgecock) to step down as soon as he gets his affairs in order.”

“That would be a more gracious way for him and the city,” McColl added. “But I wouldn’t press him on that point.”

Meanwhile, Oscar Goodman, Hedgecock’s defense attorney, said Thursday that he plans to file a motion requesting a new trial within 10 days. Goodman added, however, that he had “not had time to formulate” the legal rationale for such a request. If that motion is denied, Goodman said, he plans to file normal appeals seeking to overturn the jury’s verdict after Hedgecock is sentenced.

Asked to describe Hedgecock’s mood, Goodman said: “He’s holding up very well. He’s been realistic about this case since Day One. But at the same time, he shared the optimism that I had, so, obviously, he’s disappointed. He’s a classy guy all the way.”

After the meeting with his staff Thursday, Hedgecock spent most of the rest of the day telephoning individuals to thank them for “hundreds” of supportive phone calls and letters received by his office, Buxbaum said.

Earlier, when the mayor walked into the staff meeting, he was greeted with “a lot of applause and some tears too,” Buxbaum said.

“It was a very, very touching moment,” Buxbaum added. “It’s difficult to concentrate on city issues in the middle of something like this. But that’s the way it’s going to be, because that’s how the mayor wants it. For as long as he’s in this office, he’s going to be the mayor and act like the mayor.”