U.S. Expands Probe of Former Lawmaker Linked to Moriarty

A federal investigation into the financial dealings of former Assemblyman Bruce Young has been expanded to include work he did for cable television companies as well as his relationship to convicted political corrupter W. Patrick Moriarty, according to people interviewed in the probe.

One witness called before a Los Angeles federal grand jury Thursday was former state Sen. Dennis Carpenter (R-Newport Beach). Carpenter, now a lobbyist, was hired by Rogers Cablesystems Inc. of Toronto in 1981 during its successful effort to win a cable contract in southeast Los Angeles County.

Although Carpenter declined to discuss his testimony, officials of two cable companies--the Rogers firm and Falcon Communications of Los Angeles--told The Times that in the early 1980s, Young’s consulting company, Young Thinking, was paid about $20,000 ($10,000 from each company) to help the firms win local contracts.

Young, a Democrat who left the Legislature in 1984, said through his lawyer, Don Heller of Sacramento, that he had done nothing wrong either as a legislator or with Young Thinking, which he formed while serving as an assemblyman.

Heller, who once also represented Moriarty, said Young hoped that the three-year investigation of Moriarty and his associates would soon be over so that Young “can go on with his life.” Young is a Sacramento lobbyist.

The cable contract that the Rogers firm won involved five cities that banded together to select a cable operator. The cities were Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Lynwood, Bell Gardens and Paramount, all in or near Young’s Cerritos-Norwalk Assembly district.

Rogers paid $10,000 to Young Thinking for marketing advice on winning the contract, said Linda Moulton, director of programming and government affairs for Rogers.

Young Thinking was hired by Falcon as a marketing consultant from mid-1981 to early 1983, said Craig Watson, manager of government and public affairs. Watson could not immediately determine with which cable venture Young had been involved. Earlier, a Falcon official said Young Thinking was paid about $10,000.

Elected officials are required to report on public financial disclosure forms the name of any firm or individual that pays them $250 or more a year. When a legislator has a financial interest in a firm and receives $10,000 or more from a single client doing business with the company, the lawmaker must report the name of the client.

Each year from 1981 through 1984, Young reported receiving between $1,000 and $10,000 from Young Thinking. He was not required to specify exact amounts and did not list the names of any specific clients.

In 1979 and 1982, Young successfully carried legislation on behalf of the cable industry that extended the right of cable television operators to set subscriber rates.

Heller, his attorney, said, “As far as I’m concerned and from what I know, I don’t see anything wrong with the cable things.”

Key Factor

Investigators from the FBI and the Orange County district attorney’s office began looking at Young in connection with the graft and corruption probe of former fireworks manufacturer Moriarty. In 1981 and 1982, Young was a key factor in passage of a fireworks bill that would have benefited Moriarty’s company, Red Devil Fireworks of Anaheim.

In addition, Young was an investor in a Baldwin Hills condominium project built by Moriarty, Young’s ex-wife received about $18,000 from Moriarty when the Youngs’ marriage broke up and, according to a variety of sources, Young was provided prostitutes by Moriarty.

Moriarty and nine elected officials, bankers or associates involved in the ongoing corruption investigation pleaded guilty or were convicted in connection with the case.