Shepard: Downfall Dealt Severe Blow to Strategist

In any list of the casualties of the scandal that brought down the mayoralty of Roger Hedgecock, political consultant Tom Shepard must rank near the top. Indeed, a strong case could be made that Shepard’s downfall equals--and, in some ways, surpasses--even that of Hedgecock.

Although Hedgecock suffered the ignominy of being forced to resign the city’s top elective office, the former mayor remains a popular public figure and, with two well-paying jobs, is financially much better off today than he was as mayor. In contrast, Shepard endured an equally acute trauma--the loss of his business, his savings and, to a large extent, his reputation--and has not yet bounced back as dramatically as the former mayor.

“What would it be like if none of this had happened? It’s hard to even imagine that anymore,” said Shepard, a 38-year-old Del Mar resident.

“Before this all started, the word ‘fair’ had a lot of meaning to me. It doesn’t mean anything to me now. For me, fair is no longer an operative word for the political and legal system. Fairness is irrelevant.”

Prior to the criminal investigation into Hedgecock’s 1983 mayoral campaign, Tom Shepard & Associates appeared destined to become one of the city’s leading political consulting firms. The company’s well-publicized successes in Hedgecock’s race and the November, 1983, convention center campaign brought new clients--political and corporate--flocking to it. But by mid-1984, the negative publicity from the probe dried up most of the firm’s business and ultimately resulted in its dissolution.

Shepard eventually pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with Hedgecock and former J. David & Co. principals J. David (Jerry) Dominelli and Nancy Hoover to use his firm to funnel illegal contributions to Hedgecock’s campaign. His guilty plea, however, arose primarily from “my need to put this behind me,” not from a sense of wrongdoing, Shepard said.

Under that plea-bargain agreement, Shepard now performs community service for the Environmental Health Coalition and the San Dieguito Community Foundation.

Despite the personal upheaval traceable to his political involvement, Shepard continues to be a political consultant, and said he never considered putting distance between himself and the political milieu.

“To the contrary, I’m much more committed to the political system,” Shepard said. “If we abandon the system simply because of our own bad experiences, we’re basically turning it over to some of its most cynical participants. I’m not willing to do that.”

Although Shepard’s post-Hedgecock notoriety initially caused some potential clients to be skittish about enlisting his aid, he said that most candidates now “are more concerned about what I can do than about my past.”

However, Shepard refused to divulge the name of the local company where he is employed, and, though he said he is working for candidates both here and elsewhere, he also declined to name any of those candidates.

“There are still institutions within this community that would love to see me suffer more,” Shepard said. “I’m not willing to make it easier for them to try to make that happen. I don’t have the need or desire to be visible.”

By comparison, one of Shepard’s former business partners, pollster Robert Meadow, emerged relatively unscathed from the controversy that led to the demise of their political consulting firm.

Under an agreement with the district attorney’s office, Meadow was granted immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony, though the San Diego County Grand Jury did name him as an unindicted co-conspirator in the campaign money-laundering scheme.

“That still grates on me because I don’t feel I did anything wrong,” the 36-year-old Meadow said.

In September, 1984, three months after Tom Shepard & Associates shut down, Meadow formed Decision Research, a consulting firm that since has done work for numerous political and corporate clients.

The firm’s clients have included Rep. Bill Lowery (R-San Diego), Assemblywoman Sunny Mojonnier (R-Encinitas), Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego), county Supervisor Susan Golding, San Diego City Council members William Jones, Ed Struiksma and Abbe Wolfsheimer, as well as the La Jolla Playhouse, the Pardee Construction Co. and the Signal Cos.

“At the beginning, I had a couple of people ask me, ‘Is it OK to use you?’ ” said Meadow, who also teaches part time at the University of Southern California. “But I don’t think it’s hurt my business at all. I have as much business as I can handle.”

Like Shepard, the unpleasant experience of being subjected to a criminal investigation that he still considers unjust never caused Meadow to consider steering clear of politics. He jokes, however, about his desire to acquire “pollster’s liability insurance.”

“I was put out of business once--that makes you think twice about throwing yourself headfirst into a political campaign,” Meadow said. “But I love politics. I care about politics and what happens in San Diego. The question is, ‘Is it worth it?’ For me, the answer is yes.”