Badham Filing Says He Spent $73,000 Even as Lame Duck

During his last year in office, Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach)--who announced in January, 1988, that he would not campaign for reelection--spent about $73,000 in campaign funds, according to documents he filed with the Federal Election Commission.

That $73,000 includes about $6,700 spent on gifts and entertainment for constituents.

“That kind of thing, yes, is allowable on the basis of it is connected to the job rather than personal,” Badham said Tuesday when reached for comment in Washington, D.C., where he was traveling on business.

Campaign spending reports by members of Congress for the last half of 1988 were due to the Federal Election Commission by Tuesday. Badham, who retired after 12 years in Congress to start a private consulting firm, provided The Times with a copy of his statement.

He said he had no particular plans for spending the remaining $7,500 in his campaign fund but added that he expected to use it to pay bills incurred as a member of Congress.

Orange County’s other retiring congressman, Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach), said that he is not able to make his campaign statement available to the press but that he filed it on time.

Lungren Has Balance of $28,000

He said he has about $28,000 remaining in his campaign account.

Lungren spent 10 years in Congress representing the 42nd District, which straddles the line between Los Angeles and Orange counties. He joined a Sacramento law firm after he failed to win confirmation as Gov. George Deukmejian’s first choice as state treasurer, replacing the late Jesse M. Unruh.

Under current federal law, members of Congress can no longer pocket the money left in their campaign funds when they leave office. But both Badham and Lungren are exempt because they took office before Jan. 8, 1980, when the law took effect.

Badham reported spending about $5,000 on entertaining constituents in restaurants and at home and on attending political events. He also reported spending nearly $600 on cleaning bills for clothes, $1,430 for formal attire and $3,500 for office furniture.

Drew Criticism in Office

Badham, who was criticized while in office for spending large amounts of campaign money for travel and what some called personal expenses, also reported spending about $1,700 on gifts for constituents.

“Those are things that are of the nature of the political arena, such as wedding gifts, baby gifts--anything like that that are more political than personal,” said Badham, who was often invited to events as a sitting congressman in Orange County’s 40th District.

Badham’s campaign statement showed that he made contributions of $500 to Project ‘90--the Republican effort to control the state Legislature in time for the reapportionment after the 1990 census--and $725 to the Orange County Boy Scouts of America.

Lungren said that he would reimburse himself for about $16,000 in moving costs to relocate from Washington to California and that another $2,000 would be used for taxes, telephone bills and other campaign expenses.

No decision has been made on what to do with the remaining amount, about $10,000, Lungren said.

“The only thing I know I’m not going to do is I’m not going to use it for personal use,” Lungren said.

Prop. 73 Complications

Lungren said that with changes in the law brought by Proposition 73, the statewide campaign financing initiative passed in November, he is not sure whether the money can be used for any future campaign for state office.

Sometimes mentioned as such a candidate, Lungren said he is now concentrating on his law practice.

“I’m not of any mind to make any early decisions,” he said, referring to the current jockeying for the 1990 statewide elections. “I’m going to keep my options open and keep watching and keep my interest up.”

Rep. Robert K. Dornan donates his pay raise to charities. Page 3.