Gallegly Foe : Local Money Falls Short for Korman

Newbury Park developer Sang Korman, who is opposing Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) in the June 7 Republican primary, has lent his campaign $125,000 and already has spent $190,219. Yet Korman has received only five contributions totaling $2,100 from residents of the congressional district.

Gallegly has raised less money than Korman this year, $105,179, but has spent only $20,885. He has 2 1/2 times as much on hand--$111,396 to Korman’s $44,745. Gallegly also raised money in 1987.

In another major primary contest, West Hollywood businessman Val Marmillion has raised $42,708 toward his campaign goal of $200,000 while spending $38,436 in his bid to upset Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Tarzana) in the Democratic primary. He has $3,290 on hand. Beilenson, who has not done any concerted fund-raising, has $25,741 available after spending just $3,835.

“I’m very pleased,” said Marmillion, who has raised funds since late January. “You do better on the back end of things, when the momentum has built, than you do on the front end.”

The campaign fund-raising and spending figures are contained in campaign committee reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission this week. The documents cover the period of Jan. 1 to March 31. Each campaign on Friday provided The Times with a copy of its report.

Korean-American Support

Korman, who is Korean-born, has collected nearly all of his $109,965 in contributions from Korean-Americans. He has received more money from Korean-Americans in San Francisco, $3,000, than from residents of his largely white and heavily Republican 21st District. He took no contributions from special-interest political action committees, also known as PACs.

Korman said recently he was disappointed in his fund-raising and will not attain his goal of at least $300,000. He could not be reached Thursday or Friday. But campaign manager Bob Lavoie said he still expects Korman to raise $300,000. Some Korean-American activists had said Korman initially hoped to generate $500,000 in campaign funds.

“He was probably of the opinion it was going to be a lot easier to do,” Lavoie said of Korman, who has never run for office. Asked about Korman’s lack of a fund-raising base within the district, Lavoie said he could not comment until he had reviewed the report.

Korman came to the United States in 1972, built a successful real estate company and became a U.S. citizen in 1980. He has cast himself within the growing Korean-American community as a pioneer paving the way for others to participate in the political process. He would be the first Korean-American member of Congress.

Korman’s largest expenditure has been $44,578 paid to his Los Angeles consultants, Marathon Communications Inc., the report shows. Lavoie, who is running Korman’s campaign for Marathon, has received another $15,000 since Feb. 1. His biweekly salary is $2,500. Larry L. Berg Inc., of Calabasas, also has been paid $7,000 in consulting fees.

Gallegly was quick to say that the majority of his contributions came from within the 21st District, while Korman’s campaign is largely funded by Korean-Americans from outside.

“His contributions are clearly from one special-interest group and, from what I hear, 98% from outside the district,” Gallegly said.

The 21st District--which includes southern Ventura County, parts of the northern and western San Fernando Valley and Santa Catalina Island--has a small Asian-American population.

Gallegly’s committee reported a debt of $48,292 carried over from the 1986 campaign. He said $23,000 had been repaid since the reporting period ended. The remainder is what Gallegly lent his own 1986 campaign. Besides the $105,179 reported in contributions, he said he garnered $30,000 since the reporting period from a major fund-raiser on April 8.

Gallegly, a former Simi Valley mayor and owner of a real estate brokerage company, received contributions totaling at least $21,513 from contractors and real estate developers and brokers. The National Republican Congressional Committee also gave him $4,000. Overall, he received $80,505 from individual contributors and $20,000 from PACs, including $3,000 from the Lockheed Employees’ PAC and $1,000 or more from PACs for physicians, banks and builders.

David Desko of Canoga Park, who is also running in the 21st District GOP primary, said he is not filing an FEC report because he has raised and spent $2,000, less than the $5,000 reporting threshold. Desko, a catering manager and political novice, said he has paid for his campaign signs and flyers himself and will not accept contributions.

Marmillion--who, like Korman, is a political unknown--must also spend considerable money and energy introducing himself to voters in the sprawling, moderately Democratic district that extends from West Hollywood to Malibu and over the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Fernando Valley.

Despite reporting only $3,290 in his coffers as of March 31, Marmillion insisted his campaign is not scaling back its plans. “We continue on a daily basis to get contributions,” he said.

Marmillion made the largest contribution to his own campaign, $10,000. He also received $5,000 from the Washington-based Human Rights Fund, a homosexual-rights group. Marmillion is gay. This was his only PAC contribution.

His individual contributions include $1,000 from Democratic consultant David B. Mixner and $500 from attorney Diane Abbitt, both of whom are unpaid campaign advisers, and $1,000 from feminist activist Peg Yorkin. Marmillion’s largest expenditure was a total of $10,000 to Democratic consultant Jill Barad & Associates of Sherman Oaks.

Beilenson, who disdains fund-raising, received two contributions of $250; the rest were for less than $200. He is one of 11 House members who won’t take PAC money.

“I will send a letter shortly to past contributors asking for help,” Beilenson said this week. “I’ll try to raise more if it seems he’s succeeding at raising and spending a lot of money. Then I’ve got to respond.

“I prefer talking issues. I’m better at that than raising money.”