Fiedler Returns to Washington After Reviewing Tapes

Rep. Bobbi Fiedler flew back to Washington Tuesday after a marathon session of listening to once-secret tapes that led to the Jan. 23 indictments of Fiedler and her chief aide, Paul Clarke.

They are charged with attempting to lure state Sen. Ed Davis out of the Republican U.S. Senate primary with the offer of a $100,000 contribution to help pay off Davis’ campaign debts.

Fiedler, who has repeatedly said the tapes will prove her innocence, refused immediate comment on details concerning the tapes and their possible public release.

However, Judy Ridgeway, a spokeswoman for the Fiedler campaign said late Tuesday night that there were plans to let the media hear the tapes today. She said a time and place would not be decided on until this morning.

‘Just Very Tired’

Fiedler and Clarke had spent 10 hours Monday in the Century City office of defense counsel Harland Braun listening to the tapes. They refused to answer reporters’ questions after departing from the lawyer’s office about 11:30 p.m. Monday, saying only that “we’re just very tired” and that they had not finished hearing all the tapes.

As is her custom for State of the Union addresses, Fiedler on Tuesday arrived early at the House of Representatives and staked out a seat on the aisle so that she could shake President Reagan’s hand.

A spokeswoman for the Fiedler campaign said Tuesday that Clarke was listening to the tapes “in a private home” and was not able to return phone calls.

Braun, a prominent Westside criminal lawyer who joined the Fiedler defense team this week, said that he, Clarke and others will listen to the remaining recordings Tuesday night before deciding whether to make them and a transcript of the grand jury proceedings public.

Clarke and Fiedler were indicted by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury last month for allegedly violating a state statute that makes it a felony for anyone to pay or offer money to a candidate to secure his withdrawal from a political contest.

Secret Recordings of Meetings

The indictment stemmed in part from the secret recordings made by Davis campaign manager Martha Zilm on behalf of Los Angeles County prosecutors at meetings that Zilm held with Clarke, Fiedler, campaign pollster Arnold Steinberg and others over a two-month period.

Fiedler and Clarke are due to be arraigned and enter pleas in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday.

Meanwhile, Davis sent an angry letter to Fiedler on Tuesday demanding that she release the tapes “because the public has a right to know the truth.”

“If, as you have stated on numerous occasions, you really want to expedite this case,” Davis wrote Fiedler, “I would suggest that you waive your right to a preliminary hearing and ask that the matter be moved to trial immediately so that the case will be quickly adjudicated.”