Bradley Orders Drafting of Charges on Cunliffe

After reviewing the findings of a special panel, Mayor Tom Bradley said Wednesday that he has asked the city attorney’s office to draft “formal charges for disciplinary action” against Sylvia Cunliffe, head of the Los Angeles Department of General Services.

In his first statements on the future of his beleaguered appointee, Bradley refused to say what kind of disciplinary action he will take. He has a number of options, ranging from a reprimand or suspension to outright dismissal.

Cunliffe, who is on paid administrative leave from her $90,243-a-year job, said Wednesday that she had not spoken to the mayor about the possible disciplinary action. When told of the mayor’s statements, she began crying.

“All I can tell you is that I’ve been really disappointed in the process,” she said in a telephone interview. “I think I’ve been treated unfairly.”

Panel Investigated

There have been allegations that Cunliffe, 54, mismanaged her agency, engaged in favoritism and nepotism and may have broken the law while running the city’s fourth-largest department. A three-member committee named by Bradley investigated some of the accusations and sent a confidential report to the mayor Monday.

Although the contents of the report remain secret, sources have indicated that the panel paints a damaging portrait of Cunliffe and suggests that she may have violated both administrative and criminal codes in some instances.

Part of the allegations against Cunliffe revolve around the rental of a city-owned house in Pacific Palisades at below-market rates to an employee of the Street Scene festival, which Cunliffe’s agency runs.

Questions also have been raised about whether Cunliffe violated any laws by divulging to Bradley and the City Council the police arrest record of an employee who had tipped authorities about the Pacific Palisades rental.

Cunliffe has also been criticized for failing to recoup nearly $198,000 owed to the city by the Street Scene committee for its 1985 festival, and for allegedly favoring friends and relatives for departmental jobs, city contracts and leases at the Los Angeles Shopping Center Mall.

Bradley, speaking at a City Hall news conference, told reporters that he spent “almost all night” Monday and much of Tuesday reading the panel’s report, its conclusions and supporting documents.

Sees ‘Sufficient Evidence’

“After carefully reviewing those reports and their findings, I believe that there is sufficient evidence to warrant the drafting of formal charges for disciplinary action against Sylvia Cunliffe,” said Bradley, who added that he has asked the city attorney to formalize the charges in writing.

“At that point, I’ll make a decision about the level of the disciplinary action that should and will be taken,” Bradley said.

Cunliffe’s attorney, Godfrey Isaac, said he was not surprised by Bradley’s intention to discipline his client and promised that Cunliffe would be vindicated.

“On the one hand, I’m not surprised. They certainly have been aiming for that goal,” Isaac said. “On the other hand, I am surprised because Sylvia has not had the opportunity to present her point of view or refute any charges.”

Despite the mayor’s promise “to move this matter as fast as I can,” it was unclear how long it will take before the charges are prepared by the office of City Atty. James K. Hahn.

“There is no timetable as to how quickly we’ll be proceeding with the process,” said Mike Qualls, a Hahn spokesman.

But John J. Driscoll, general manager of the city’s Personnel Department, said he expected the charges to be delivered to the mayor in two or three weeks.

Under state law, Cunliffe will be given a copy of the formal charges and may respond to the them and the proposed discipline. But any serious disciplinary actions would also have to be approved by the City Council. Cunliffe could also appeal any disciplinary action to the Civil Service Commission.

‘Available Facts’

Deputy Mayor Mike Gage said the city attorney’s office has been given the committee report and will determine formal charges based on information provided by the panel, as well as on “other available facts.”

Asked if the committee report will be made public, Gage said: “Not at this time. At this time, we think (releasing) it would hamper a personnel proceeding.”

There are other investigations into Cunliffe or the General Services Department, including a probe by the Police Department, which is investigating allegations of kickbacks and bribes in the sale of surplus automobiles by her agency.

The district attorney’s office--which recently completed an initial inquiry into the leasing of city-owned property, the disclosure of the police arrest record and other allegations against Cunliffe--is still deciding whether to file criminal charges against her.