Probe Begins on Ferraro Fund Raising

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office opened an inquiry Monday into a lobbyist’s allegation that City Council members Nate Holden and John Ferraro asked for donations to Ferraro’s campaign in exchange for scheduling a hearing for the lobbyist’s clients.

The move came as Holden filed suit against the lobbyist--Ann Carlton Bose--and her employer, alleging that statements by Bose were “grossly false, untrue, ludicrous and libelous.”

A visibly upset Holden told reporters at a City Hall press conference that he was “in shock” as a result of the allegations, which surfaced Friday, and that he viewed the matter as an attack on him.

“Obviously, someone is trying to hurt me,” he said. “It appears that it was intentional.”

Bose, in interviews last week, said she unsuccessfully attempted for four months last year to get a hearing before the Transportation and Traffic Committee, which Holden chairs, on behalf of the ambulance companies which she represents.

Finally, she said, she called Council President John Ferraro for help in persuading Holden. Ferraro called back, Bose said, and told her that Holden said he would schedule the hearing if Bose’s clients supported Ferraro’s next fund-raiser, scheduled later this week.

Bose repeated the conversation in a letter to her clients, a copy of which was obtained by KNBC television reporter Linda Douglass, and confirmed by The Times.

Ferraro and Holden both heatedly denied Bose’s account in interviews with The Times on Friday and Holden broke into lengthy sobs as he defended himself.

On Monday, district attorney’s office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said the issue was under review by Assistant Dist. Atty. Curt Livesay, who will determine whether a full investigation is warranted. Both Holden and Ferraro said they had not yet been contacted by the district attorney’s office, but Holden said he welcomed the inquiry.

“That’s fine,” he said. “We’ll give all the information we can to the district attorney.”

Holden and his attorney, Gloria Allred, said Bose had told Holden’s lawyers that the signature on the letter made available to KNBC and The Times was not hers. But Bose’s lawyer denied their account.

“I don’t believe that’s accurate as far as I know,” the attorney, Charles English, said in an interview. “She has not made any statements.” Bose herself referred all comments to English.

The councilman’s suit, filed early Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, lists as defendants Bose and her employer, Devon Blaine, and The Blaine Group Inc., the lobbying firm for which Bose works.

Holden said he could not “point the finger at anyone” to substantiate his claim that the letter and its contents were set up to damage him.

He also angrily brushed off questions about whether he had involved himself in a conflict of interest by taking money from individuals and organizations with business before his transportation committee.

A Times survey showed that in the last two years, Holden’s political action committee has received more than $49,000 from taxicab and ambulance companies and from firms and individuals with ties to the health care business. Issues relating to taxis and ambulance service regularly come before Holden’s committee.

“I must tell you that I was not aware (of the donations to his political action committee) so therefore I am not influenced.”