Supporters to Help Pay Expenses : Trust Fund Established for Baker

Supporters of C. David Baker, who is being investigated by the district attorney’s office because of alleged financial improprieties in the closing days of an unsuccessful bid for Congress, have established a trust fund to help with Baker’s legal and personal expenses, his attorney said Saturday.

Attorney Paul S. Meyer said, however, that the fund “was not motivated or generated” by Baker. Meyer, who also stressed that the fund was not his idea, said the account was established because many of Baker’s supporters had expressed a desire to help him.

“We have had so many calls of support for him,” Meyer said. “We were concerned that they might send a check to a campaign area or to a vendor, which would create problems we would have to unravel later. This way, we can keep an accurate accounting.”

In Seclusion

Baker, an Irvine city councilman, has been in almost total seclusion since he lost the GOP primary race in the 40th Congressional District to C. Christopher Cox on June 7. Shortly after the election, it was revealed that Baker had written himself a $48,000 check the week before the election on the account of the Irvine Health Foundation, which he headed as executive director.

At the time, Baker’s campaign needed money for a mailer to be sent to voters during the final weekend before the election, and an attempt by Baker to borrow money against his house apparently had run into delays.

A stop-payment was placed on the Irvine Health Foundation check before the funds were transferred from the foundation’s account, but Baker was confronted by foundation directors about the check on the Friday night before the election and forced to resign as executive director. Later that same weekend, the candidate checked himself into a hospital.

Baker has been on a paid leave of absence from the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker since the election.

Dealing With Problems

Meyer said Saturday that Baker has been dealing with his legal and personal problems “on a day-to-day basis with the same kind of integrity with which he has always conducted himself.”

Baker’s attorney, however, would not comment on how deep Baker’s financial problems might be, nor on what the remaining debt was from his losing campaign.

“This is for an individual who has dedicated a large part of his life to public service,” Meyer said of the trust fund. “The community is not going to let him down.”