Robbins Raises Money for Race That May Never Be

Under a recently enacted campaign reform act, state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana) has become one of the first lawmakers in California to begin to raise money to run for a political office that does not exist.

Robbins has declared his intention to seek a Los Angeles County supervisorial seat in the San Fernando Valley, which he hopes will be created through a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department to force the supervisors to redraw district lines.

The Justice Department has claimed that the boundaries violate the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the electoral strength of the county’s Latinos. Robbins maintains that the five supervisors--who deny the discrimination claim--may eventually create both a Latino-dominated district in central Los Angeles and a new Valley district.

The lawsuit is tentatively scheduled to go to trial Aug. 8. But Robbins is not waiting for the outcome--he is off and fund-raising.

He filed his intent to run for supervisor with the state Fair Political Practices Commission on Jan. 30. In his filing, he cited 1992 as the prospective election year. He said he was advised by his attorney to pick the latest possible date for the election, although he expects the matter to be settled in time for a 1990 election.

Robbins will begin raising money for the supervisorial seat at his annual birthday fund-raiser March 9 at the Century Plaza Hotel. He said this week that he expects to net about $200,000 at the dinner, featuring singer Rita Moreno. The $500-a-person event generally draws 500 to 600 people.

Under Proposition 73, the electoral reform measure adopted by voters in June, a lawmaker must declare his intention to run for a specific office before he begins raising money for the campaign. The money can only be used to campaign for that office.

Until this year, lawmakers could receive money for one office then transfer it to a campaign committee for another position.

If the supervisors do not create a Valley district, Robbins said, he expects to return the proceeds from the birthday dinner to his donors. He has vowed not to run against Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a Republican who represents much of the Valley and who was reelected in November.

Fund Use Restricted

In any case, it is unlikely that Robbins would be able to use the funds for a campaign in another supervisorial district, said Sandra Michioku, spokeswoman for the Fair Political Practices Commission. But “we would have to review that,” she added.

Michioku said Robbins is not the only would-be candidate to file to raise money for a seat that does not yet exist. She said others have stated an intention to run for potential city council seats in unincorporated areas where proposed cityhood is being put before voters.

Robbins, 45, has said for months that he is ready to leave the Senate after 16 years. He says his weariness with the Sacramento commute is compounded by a malformed Eustachian tube that has made flying increasingly painful for him. The Eustachian tube equalizes pressure on both sides of the eardrum.

Nevertheless, Robbins said this week that he is unwilling to rule out a reelection bid in 1990 if a Valley supervisorial district is not created. Under Proposition 73, he could also open a Senate reelection committee and raise money for that race at the same time he pursues the supervisorial bid.

He would not, however, be permitted to transfer money between the two committees.

“I do not feel comfortable raising money for more than one office at one time,” Robbins said. “I’m going pretty far on the supervisorial seat.”

Robbins is a potentially strong supervisorial candidate. He is a prolific fund raiser who has established himself as a champion of Valley concerns. He is also a wealthy attorney and real estate developer who has substantial holdings in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

At the same time, he is one of the Legislature’s most controversial members, a political maverick who has been criticized for courting special-interest contributions. He was also investigated by the state attorney general’s office last year for using campaign funds to make large loans to business associates. The six-week review found no evidence that Robbins had broken any laws.

Robbins, chairman of the Senate Insurance, Claims and Corporations Committee, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the newly created post of state insurance commissioner in 1990. He reiterated this week that he would not close the door on that high-stakes race, either, although he would only consider it if the supervisorial option does not materialize.

Robbins has nearly $400,000 in his Senate campaign fund. Under the Fair Political Practices Commission’s interpretation of Proposition 73, he will be able to use much of that money for the future political race of his choice. He will be prohibited from carrying over only those amounts that exceed the individual and political action committee contribution limits established by the campaign reform act.

Robbins said he has not yet determined how much of this money will be available for a future campaign.