Patterson Status Prompts Dornan Threat to Boycott County’s Washington Lobbyist

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) has threatened to boycott the law firm serving as Orange County’s Washington lobbyist as long as one of its associates--former congressman Jerry M. Patterson--is even considering a 1986 comeback bid against Dornan.

The lobbyist is Washington attorney James McConnell.

“McConnell came into my office on another matter, and I told him that if Patterson is considering a run against me, why then I would no longer have any dealings with him,” Dornan said in an interview this week. “I think Jim, who I have no problems with personally, was uncomfortable. . . . But I don’t intend to play the fool while the county pays the law firm so that Patterson has a stopgap job on his way to running against me.”

McConnell said Thursday:

“I feel I don’t have a problem with Congressman Dornan because my earlier understanding is still in effect. If Jerry Patterson were a candidate for public office . . . he would either have to leave the law firm, or if for some reason he became a candidate and did not leave, then I would leave.”

Favors Dornan Reelection

If McConnell left the law firm, he would remain the county’s lobbyist but would have severed the link with Patterson.

McConnell, a Republican, added that he supports incumbents and thus favors Dornan’s reelection. As a lobbyist, McConnell has handled many issues for the county, including federal financing for the Santa Ana River Flood Control Project.

Dornan said he raised the Patterson campaign issue with McConnell after learning that Patterson had not ruled out a comeback bid. Dornan unseated Patterson, a five-term House veteran, by an eight-point margin last year.

The other members of Orange County’s all-Republican delegation feel as he does, Dornan said. Dornan said the delegation would not boycott legislation sought by county officials but would insist on dealing with someone other than McConnell’s firm.

Following the election, Patterson joined the Washington-based Leff & Mason law firm as a lobbyist for several corporate clients such as savings and loan institutions. But he also brought three longtime friends and associates with him to Leff & Mason: McConnell and two of McConnell’s law partners, Verlyn Jensen and Greg Sanders.

Since the lobbying contracts for the Board of Supervisors and the Orange County Transportation Commission were held by Jensen, Sanders and McConnell, the documents were amended earlier this year to reflect the change to Leff & Mason, and Patterson helped open up the firm’s first Orange County office--in Costa Mesa (the firm also has an office in Beverly Hills).

Before the board agreed to the contract change, McConnell said he made sure that no member of Orange County’s all-GOP House delegation objected because Patterson had become a law firm associate.

Dornan said he had received assurances from McConnell that Patterson was not going to use the law firm simply as a financial subsidy so that he could prepare to reclaim the congressional seat.

“Without those assurances, I would have looked like a fool,” Dornan said.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Harriett Wieder, one of McConnell’s strongest allies in county government, said she too would feel uncomfortable dealing with McConnell’s law firm if Patterson is “making noises” about running.

“That would be a real problem,” Wieder said. “It would be totally inappropriate.”

Patterson told The Times earlier this week that he will make a final decision about a congressional race by Nov. 1 after spending the next two weeks talking to friends and supporters in Orange County and after some selective polling is done concerning the 38th Congressional District.

Patterson said he would leave the law firm “at some point” if he decides to run for pubic office.

“I realize that you can’t campaign part time,” he said.

Patterson has shown renewed interest in the race since another Democrat, Superior Court Judge David Carter, visited key party officials in Washington last week in search of campaign support.

No Commitments Made

Carter met with Patterson for more than two hours in Washington, but neither man made any commitments to the other.

Meanwhile, Laguna Beach developer and Democratic National Committeeman David Stein is among several key party activists attempting to persuade Patterson to run for the Board of Supervisors next year. Supervisor Ralph Clark, the board’s only Democrat, has announced he will retire. By law, board seats are nonpartisan, but GOP and Democratic activists still consider them prizes to be won in elections.

Patterson said that if he decides not to enter the congressional race, he will take until Dec. 1 to decide whether to run for Clark’s board seat.

Only two weeks ago Patterson had said in Washington that he was doubtful about his entry in either race.

Since then, however, he said he has felt a need to consider his options more thoroughly and more quickly.