$10,000 Fee Paid to Lawmaker Who Left Sickbed to Cast Votes

Assemblywoman Sunny Mojonnier received a $10,000 award last year for leaving her sickbed and casting votes in favor of legislation to locate a new state prison in Los Angeles, according to the president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., which gave her the money.

Mojonnier, an Encinitas Republican, reported the sum as a speaking fee, or honorarium, on her annual statement of economic interests filed this week with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Other legislators received hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and speaking fees during 1987, according to the forms filed with the FPPC before the Tuesday midnight deadline. Leading the way was Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), who set a legislative record by collecting nearly $124,000 for 63 speeches and $37,960 in gifts.

‘Major Surgery’

Don Novey, president of the guards association, said in an interview that the money was given to Mojonnier not for her speech but in recognition of her votes July 15 and July 16 in favor of a measure to build a prison in Los Angeles, a decision that was needed before the state could open two already-constructed prisons in San Diego and Stockton.

“This lady had just had serious major surgery, and she came to the Capitol and cast a key vote (July 15) for the passage of the Los Angeles prison site measure,” Novey said. “It meant a lot to our profession.”

When pressed about the connection between Mojonnier’s vote and the $10,000, Novey said the lawmaker would have been given the award just for coming to the Capitol, even if she had been unable for some reason to cast the vote.

“If she had died (en route to the chamber), we still would have given (her) the award,” he said.

Asked, however, if the group would have given the $10,000 award if Mojonnier had braved her pain to vote the other way, Novey said, “Probably not, to be honest.”

Mojonnier said she listed the $10,000 as an honorarium because she considered it payment for a speech.

“It was not, as far as I’m concerned, a reward for the way I voted,” she said.

Mojonnier said she did not consider it odd that the association, which usually pays $1,000 for a speech, would give her $10,000 to talk. Altogether, she received $11,250 for four speeches.

Speaking Fees

Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), the Assembly’s Democratic Caucus chairwoman, received more than $29,000 in speaking fees. State Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) received $26,350 in honorariums.

In contrast, Assemblyman Thomas M. Hannigan (D-Fairfield), the Assembly’s majority floor leader, and Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy reported no speaking fees. Spokesmen for both said the officeholders do not accept honorariums.

Yet the reports showed that both McCarthy and Hannigan accepted trips as gifts. Hannigan received $6,712 worth of air fare and lodging for a fall trip to Japan paid for by the Japanese Institute for Social and Economic Affairs. McCarthy took $2,500 in air fare and accommodations from the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles to tour Moscow and Leningrad late last summer.

Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale), the Assembly’s Republican leader, received $19,300 in gifts, including an expense-paid trip to Japan from the Japanese institute, one to New York from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and a trip to Netherlands from the Atlantic Exchange Program.

Among the $29,000 in gifts last year for Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) was a trip to Pebble Beach to play in the AT&T; golf tournament. AT&T; paid for the trip.

Senate Minority Leader Ken Maddy (R-Fresno) listed a $4,000 trip to China, paid for mainly by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, among the $7,709 worth of gifts he received last year.

Also contributing to this story was Times staff writer Jerry Gillam.