Bradley Disclaims Link to Fund-Raising Letter

Responding to questions about a supporter’s fund-raising letters that some businessmen say implied a connection between making donations and doing business with the city, Mayor Tom Bradley on Saturday said his campaign had nothing to do with the controversial letters.

Elvin W. Moon, a businessman, recently hosted a $2,000-per-person Bradley fund-raiser. He sent letters to potential Bradley contributors last month with a postscript that read: “We wish you much success in your bid in design work for the North Outfall Replacement Sewer (NORS).”

The project is a multimillion-dollar renovation of a city sewer main.

Time for Some Jokes

Bradley, who opened his campaign headquarters in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw area Saturday, was received warmly by longtime supporters, and he joked frequently with the audience.

Regarding the letter controversy, he said: “Mr. Moon was acting on his own, independent of our campaign. When we learned the nature of that letter, the checks ($11,800 worth of checks that came in as a result of the Moon fund-raiser) were returned, never deposited.”

Sources close to the Bradley campaign said the fund-raiser was set up by Bradley Special Assistant Bill Elkins, but that neither Elkins nor anyone in the campaign saw the Moon letter before it was sent.

“There certainly was no crime on Moon’s part,” said one source. “A crime of stupidity because of the appearence, but not a crime.”