D.A. Returns Probe of Alatorre Funds to L.A.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office reopened its investigation into whether spending by Councilman Richard Alatorre violated the city’s campaign financing law, after the district attorney’s office declared Friday that it had no jurisdiction over the case.

Last month, City Atty. James K. Hahn turned over the probe, which is centered on Alatorre’s alleged use of state campaign funds to finance his recent City Council race, to the district attorney’s office “to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest,” a spokesman said at the time.

On Friday, however, Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert N. Jorgensen said that not only did no “significant” appearance of conflict exist but that a review of state law determined that the district attorney’s office could not take charge of the case.

“It appears to us that no agency other than the city attorney may prosecute,” Jorgensen said.

Press Conference

In a press conference, Jorgensen said that while there was “some information” turned over to the district attorney’s office that he could investigate, the “great preponderance” involved alleged violations under the specific jurisdiction of the city attorney.

Hahn, in a statement released Friday afternoon, said his office will conduct the investigation and “take whatever action is appropriate.”

“In an abundance of caution, we felt the responsible thing to do was to refer the matter to the district attorney to avoid any appearance of conflict,” Hahn said. “We have made public our concerns. Now we will proceed.”

Fears over the potential for conflict of interest were raised because the city attorney is the legal counsel to the City Council and works with council members on a daily basis, a Hahn spokesman said.

Won Election

In the Alatorre matter, the city attorney will look at up to $85,000 in state campaign funds that allegedly were used to benefit Alatorre’s city campaign, sources said. In December, Alatorre won election to the Eastside council seat previously held by Arthur K. Snyder, who resigned last fall.

Provisions of the city campaign contribution law passed by voters last April bar a council candidate from using outside sources, such as a state campaign committee, to finance a local race.

Violation of the law, which occurs if a person “knowingly and willfully” breaks the law, is a misdemeanor that could lead to removal from office.

Alatorre said after questions were first raised that officials in the city attorney’s office gave him “confusing advice” as to which funds he could use for his city election. The councilman, in Washington for the League of Cities conference, could not be reached Friday and his Los Angeles staff declined to comment.

Separate Questions

While announcing the resumed investigation into Alatorre’s actions, Hahn also ordered the city clerk to begin an investigation into separate questions raised about fund-raising by three other council members: Gilbert Lindsay, John Ferraro and Robert Farrell. The announcement came two days after Common Cause and the Center for Law in the Public Interest, advocates of the city’s campaign contribution law, warned his office of “apparent violations.”

The council members disputed the charges.