Bradley Reiterates Vow on Outside Employment

Mayor Tom Bradley, further clarifying what he has described as an “error in judgment,” said Tuesday that he will never again accept outside employment of the sort that launched investigations into his conduct.

In a written statement issued by his office, the mayor elaborated on an admission delivered May 10 during a dramatic appearance before the Los Angeles City Council.

“I will not seek or accept any form of outside employment from any profit-making body in the future,” the mayor’s statement on Tuesday said.

Bradley also renewed a vow to “hold my office to the highest ethical standards.”

The city attorney is currently investigating, among other things, Bradley’s acceptance of money to serve as an adviser to two local financial institutions. The Far East National Bank paid Bradley $18,000 in 1988, while it did business with the city. Bradley has since returned the money.

In addition, Valley Federal Savings & Loan paid the mayor up to $24,000 a year from 1978 until earlier this year. During that period, its subsidiaries had zoning matters before the City Council which required mayoral approval.

Last month, in his hastily arranged appearance before the council, Bradley said his outside employment was a mistake “because of the perceptions it created.”

‘I Recognize That Error’

“I now recognize that error and I will always regret it,” the mayor said.

Although Bradley implied then that he would not accept outside work in the future, he issued the specific statement on the point Tuesday after questions were raised by reporters.

Bradley did not speak to reporters about the matter. He has refused to discuss his activities, saying that he will wait until the investigations are complete or until he feels compelled by events to talk.

“This is a way to get it out clearly,” Bradley spokesman Bill Chandler said of the written statement.

In addition to the city attorney’s probe--which is covering a range of financial activities by the mayor--Bradley’s actions are under review by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department. Their probes center on Bradley’s history of stock and bond transactions involving the troubled investment firm Drexel Burnham Lambert.

The mayor also, in his written statement, recalled his vow to place all of his investments in a blind trust. While that vow was made on April 27, Bradley has yet to form the trust which would place all of his investments outside of his personal control. Since early May, mayoral aides have said the trust would be established in a matter of days.

Dominates City Politics

The controversy over Bradley’s financial conduct has dominated City Hall politics for months, far overshadowing the mayor’s victory for an unprecedented fifth term. Most recently, City Hall has been the scene of strife over clashing approaches to reform of the city’s ethics laws.

Bradley, in an attempt to put the controversy behind him, set up an independent ethics panel that this fall is to deliver its recommendations for tightening the current code of ethics.

But on Monday, three council members unveiled their own ethics reform proposals, which are due to come before the council this summer and thus will likely steal the spotlight from the conclusions formed by the mayor’s ethics panel.