New Ethics Panel Shuns Ties to Bradley

The first act of Mayor Tom Bradley’s special panel on ethics in government Monday was to distance itself as much as possible from the mayor and the City Council, in part by seeking outside funding.

The seven-member panel of civic and religious leaders, appointed by Bradley one day after his surprisingly narrow reelection April 11, agreed at its first meeting to organize itself as an independent organization, probably as a nonprofit corporation, and not take any funds from Bradley, his political action committee or the City Council.

Stress on Independence

“We will be most effective, most credible . . . if we are independent,” said Geoffrey Cowan, former state chairman of the political watchdog group Common Cause, whom Mayor Bradley asked to head the panel. The group hopes to get its estimated $125,000 budget from private foundations.

Formation of the panel was one of several moves by Bradley in recent weeks to deflect criticism and restore confidence in the wake of conflict-of-interest inquiries into his ties with financial institutions that do business with the city. The mayor, citing news reports in the closing weeks of the campaign on his relationships with Far East National Bank and Valley Federal Savings and Loan Assn. as a factor in his relatively poor (52%) election showing, said the city needed a tougher, clearer set of ethical guidelines for city officials.

Cowan said the group will not be involved in the city attorney’s investigation of Bradley’s finances or pass judgment on any of the disclosures concerning the mayor’s activities, concentrating instead on developing a new code of ethics.

“We’re not an adjudicatory body, we’re a legislative body,” said Cowan. “We’re writing a code for the future.”

The ethics committee’s initial meeting, over takeout lunches at the offices of the Los Angeles County Bar Assn., came as City Atty. James K. Hahn and City Treasurer Leonard Rittenberg were preparing the first official reports on Bradley’s financial ties for a City Council hearing Wednesday.

It is unclear just what the officials will report, but it is likely that their remarks will be brief; the committee has allowed just one hour to consider five council motions and hear from the two witnesses. A spokesman for Hahn said, “He is not going to be in a position to discuss details in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation.”

Councilman Michael Woo, chairman of the Governmental Operations Committee, has scheduled a press conference today to explain what role the committee intends to play in the investigation into Bradley’s finances.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department identified the two investigators it has assigned to help Hahn’s inquiry as Gary Ingemunson, 41, with 19 years LAPD experience, and Det. James Heisdorf, 59, with 28 years on the force. Police spokesman Cmdr. William Booth declined to give details on their aspect of the investigation. Both men are experienced bunco-forgery detectives, Booth said.

Hahn has asked for Police Department help because his office lacks the resources for such investigations, a spokesman said. The department has helped on other investigations, including ones involving the Housing Authority and General Services Department.

Bradley has acknowledged that he was paid $18,000 as an adviser to Far East National during 1988, while the bank had $1 million in city deposits. Bradley has said he only learned of the deposits this March and had resigned from the bank at year end. He has since returned the money he was paid to the bank.

Inquiries Last Year

But documents obtained by The Times under the California Public Records Act indicate that Bradley’s office made inquiries last year to the treasurer’s office and to the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency on behalf of Far East. The answers to the inquiries showed that the city was doing business with the bank and indicate that Bradley was probably aware of the business ties.

Separately, Bradley has acknowledged being paid thousands of dollars over many years by Valley Federal, while the firm had numerous zoning matters before the city. Bradley resigned as an emeritus director of the thrift board the day after the election.

At the ethics panel meeting Monday, Cowan, without referring specifically to Bradley, said: “Times of crisis of this kind are also times of opportunity. When there are lapses of ethical integrity, there is an opportunity to make something better.”

The committee also includes attorneys Antonia Hernandez, president of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Margaret Morrow, president of the county Bar Assn.; Gilbert Ray, a partner with the firm O’Melveny and Myers; and retired Superior Court Judge Delbert Wong. The other members are Roman Catholic Archbishop Roger M. Mahony and Rabbi Allen Freehling of the University Synagogue.

Bradley, who spent Monday working in his office, said through a spokesman: “I am pleased that the panel is off to a strong and independent start.” He said he agreed that they should take the steps necessary to be independent, and Bradley added, “I hope the City Council is eager to join in the effort” to adopt a strong, effective code of ethics.

Meeting With Ferraro

The panel voted to meet as soon as possible with City Council President John Ferraro, whose help it will need in getting its recommendations adopted as a city ordinance.

But the panel has a long way to go.

Cowan said he hopes to complete a draft report by Labor Day and a final report by October, but acknowledged that the process could take longer.

Among the immediate hurdles are finding financing, organizing itself as a nonprofit corporation or affiliating with an existing group, and selecting a staff.

The group’s preliminary budget of $125,000 includes $32,500 for an as yet unselected executive director.

Mahony called obtaining financing from private firms “the least dangerous, the least invasive” way to go.