Tuttle Denies Taking Freebie From City License Seeker

Councilman Edd Tuttle, denying that he ever used a free pass from a helicopter company seeking a city license, said this week that he may have a hard time proving he did not break state law because the unused pass was stolen from his office.

Tuttle’s assertion that a file containing the pass was taken from his City Hall office is the latest twist in a series of events surrounding the question of whether Tuttle accepted a free ticket from L.A. Helicopter Inc.

The California Constitution prohibits public officeholders, other than public utilities commissioners, from accepting free or discount rides from transportation companies. The penalty is loss of office. But spokesmen for two state agencies that might enforce the regulation say the matter is not clear-cut and that it is uncertain whether they would pursue the case even if it could be proved that Tuttle did take a free ride.

An anonymous letter mailed last week to area newspapers and to the attorney general’s office claims that Tuttle broke the constitutional provision. The unsigned letter was stapled to a copy of a Feb. 27 letter from Tuttle to L.A. Helicopter that begins: “Thank you very much for the helicopter pass.”

Tuttle said he did receive a pass from L.A. Helicopter but that he never used it. Now, he said, a file with the pass has been stolen from his office.

Two weeks ago, in an interview with The Times, Gordon J. Myers, president of L.A. Helicopter, said that Tuttle took a free demonstration ride at the company’s insistence. He said the company wanted Tuttle to see that the regularly scheduled flights out of Long Beach Municipal Airport would not increase air-traffic noise.

“It was not intended to be a free ride. It was intended for him to see that we would not impact his area,” Myers said.

But this week, Lloyd A. Stevens, company executive vice president, said that Tuttle paid a $130 fare for himself and his wife. Stevens said that Tuttle paid in cash--”as a matter of fact, $20s and $10.” Tuttle also says he paid for the ride.

Myers was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment. In the earlier interview, he said the helicopter company had offered demonstration flights to council members as a way to establish good relations with the members who were working to limit the number of airplane flights at Long Beach Airport.

Tuttle represents the airport area and is the most vocal opponent of airport noise. Myers said the company especially wanted to win his support--although the council did not have to approve whether L.A. Helicopter would receive its permit. The permit was issued through the Public Works Department, and the council was informed on June 16 that the company would begin operating regularly scheduled flights the next day. Tuttle was absent from the June 16 meeting.

When L.A. Helicopter first asked Tuttle to take a demonstration flight, he declined, saying he was too busy, Myers said. But helicopter company officials asked him to use their service the next time he was traveling to Los Angeles International Airport. On his way to Washington, D.C. for a National League of Cities meeting Feb. 28, Tuttle took the offer but then had to wait close to an hour before take-off, Myers said.

“If I really wanted to to do him a favor, (I would) have sent a limo to his house and taken him straight to the (L.A.) airport,” Myers said. Myers added that he apologized if his company had placed Tuttle “in a compromising position.” He said no other council members accepted the offer.

Tuttle said Tuesday that he did not know why the helicopter company said he took a free ride. “That’s real strange,” he said. “I don’t know what to tell you. I find that real interesting myself.”

Sheila Parsons, council executive assistant, said that the city paid for Tuttle’s air fare and hotel for the Washington trip. and that he billed the city $339.85 for meals and other expenses. She said Tuttle submitted no bill for helicopter service.

Neither the attorney general’s office, the district attorney’s office nor the Fair Political Practices Commission would say whether a free helicopter ride would be a violation of the constitutional provision, originally written to prevent then-powerful railroad companies from influencing legislators.

Complaint Actions Vary

“The answer, in our view, is not that simple,” explained Jack Winkler, the assistant attorney general who heads the opinions unit.

There are various ways such a complaint would be handled, Winkler said. The most likely course would call for an interested party to file civil action against Tuttle, Winkler said. It would be up to the attorney general’s office to determine whether such a lawsuit could be filed, but it is a private party--not the attorney general--who would take the matter to court, Winkler said.

“It’s a private action; anyone could institute it if they have our approval first,” Winkler said.

Head Deputy Dist. Atty. J. Provenzano said that if his office were to receive such a complaint, it would be forwarded to a special investigations division to avoid any potential conflict of interest since a city councilman is involved.

Provenzano said he did not know whether acceptance of a free ride would constitute a violation of the 108-year-old provision. “You are dealing with a very esoteric thing. It’s not like a murder,” he said. “Here, you don’t even know if you have a crime.”

To Tuttle, the question of whether a free ride would be a violation is irrelevant because “I know I’m not in violation.”

Tuttle said he will search for a receipt this weekend while he is in Lake Arrowhead, where he and his wife have a second home.

The councilman, who stepped down as vice mayor Tuesday saying he wants to devote more of his time to his district, said he is more concerned about the theft of the helicopter file.

He said he has “a good gut feeling” who may have stolen materials from his office, but he would not comment further. He said he has reported the matter to the police department.

“There are some real unusual things going on after dark” in his office, Tuttle said.

5 Documents Said to Be Missing

Barbara Henderson, Tuttle’s assistant, said five documents are missing: three letters regarding complaints about a dance club have been missing three to four weeks, and two letters in the helicopter file were discovered missing on Monday. Henderson said she does not remember ever having seen a helicopter pass in the now-missing file.

Other council members expressed surprise at Tuttle’s revelation that documents have been stolen in City Hall and said the matter should be followed up to ensure that the items were not merely misplaced.

“I think everyone is somewhat surprised that someone would walk into his office and take a letter. That’s what has us baffled. The only one who knew about the letter was Mr. Tuttle and the person it was mailed to,” Councilman Tom Clark said referring to the Feb. 27 letter from Tuttle to the helicopter company.

“I’m dumbfounded,” Councilman Wallace Edgerton said.

“We need to get to the bottom of this,” added Councilman Ray Grabinski.