State Probes Phony Presidential Endorsement Letters

The state attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into whether any criminal statutes were violated in the 1986 preparation of phony presidential endorsement letters sent out on behalf of six Republican candidates for the Assembly.

“One of the things we’re trying to determine is how these letters were prepared and distributed and who was responsible,” said Deputy Atty. Gen. W. Scott Thorpe, who is supervising the inquiry.

In particular, Thorpe said, he is seeking to pinpoint possible violations of state forgery statutes. “One of the elements of forgery is having intent to defraud,” he said. “In this case, it would be intent to defraud the public.”

The Reagan endorsement letters were sent on behalf of Republicans Henry Velasco, who lost to Assemblywoman Sally Tanner of El Monte; Matt Webb, who lost to Assemblyman Steve Clute of Riverside; and Roger Fiola, who lost to Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd of Hawthorne. They also were mailed for three winning GOP Assembly candidates--Bev Hansen of Santa Rosa, Richard E. Longshore of Santa Ana and Trice Harvey of Bakersfield.

The investigation was begun after Tanner last fall urged Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp to prosecute those responsible. Tanner cited a legislative counsel’s opinion that the mailing of unauthorized presidential endorsement letters would be illegal.

The letters--including the one supporting Tanner’s GOP opponent--were mailed before the November, 1986, election. But the White House denied that the so-called presidential endorsements were authorized by President Reagan or any of his aides.

The White House also singled out two aides to Assembly Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale and a GOP direct-mail specialist for being “grossly negligent or recklessly indifferent” in the handling of the letters.

Tells of Questioning

Assemblyman Harvey said that about a month ago attorney general’s investigators questioned him in the office of his Bakersfield attorney. “They were just investigating the process of how it happened and who was actually responsible for saying letters were approved,” Harvey said. He denied that his staff did anything improper.

Harvey labeled all the letters, except one, as “puff pieces.” The one exception, he said, was the letter assailing Floyd’s record in the Assembly. “Anyone who saw the hit piece against Floyd knows the President of the United States wouldn’t have signed it,” Harvey said.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Thorpe said the content of the letters would not determine “whether (they) violated forgery statutes.”