Deukmejian Morocco-Bound for a Party

Gov. George Deukmejian, hardly anyone’s definition of a party boy, will shuck convention and join the jet set next week for a high-power, celebrity studded birthday celebration in Tangier for publisher Malcolm Forbes.

A bit out of the ordinary for the strait-laced governor who celebrates political victories with a heaping bowl of jamoca almond fudge ice cream, you may wonder?

Perhaps a bit, conceded press secretary Kevin Brett. He confirmed that Deukmejian and his wife, Gloria, will join about 800 special friends Aug. 19 to celebrate Forbes’ 70th birthday at the magazine publisher’s castle overlooking the Mediterranean.

“This may not be what people normally associate with George Deukmejian,” Brett said. But he quickly added: “They should understand it is not unlike Gov. Deukmejian to meet with highly visible . . . individuals in the business community, albeit in a social setting.”

According to a Washington Post society column, invited guests include such personalities as Elizabeth Taylor; Chrysler Corp. chairman Lee Iacocca; television’s Barbara Walters and Walter Cronkite; actress Dina Merrill; designer Oscar de la Renta; Fiat chairman Giovanni Agnelli; Washington Post chairman Katherine Graham; comedienne Joan Rivers and former Treasury Secretary W. Michael Blumenthal.

Deukmejian and the governor of Rhode Island, Ed DiPrete, are believed to be the only two political officeholders to attend, Brett said. He noted that the Deukmejians’ costs, including round-trip chartered jet fare from New York to Morocco, will be paid by Forbes and reported on the governor’s legally required disclosure of gifts report.

Brett said Deukmejian, who is accompanied at virtually every function by at least one staff aide, would not have office assistants on this trip. “I cannot think of a similar situation where that has occurred,” Brett said.

The press secretary refused to discuss how Deukmejian’s name got on the guest list, but he said “there is a familiarity with Gov. Deukmejian by Malcolm Forbes himself.” He noted that the governor’s picture was on the cover of Forbes magazine in 1984 and the publication printed a story about his program to balance the state budget. Since then, the governor has met with the magazine’s staff, Brett said.

Brett said the Morocco trip will be sandwiched between long-scheduled official state business conferences Deukmejian will hold with bankers, investors and corporate executives in New York Aug. 16-22.

He said Deukmejian, as he has in the past, would meet with the finance executives to discuss the fiscal condition of California and seek to attract more investment in the state.

Deukmejian will fly to New York on Wednesday, meet with manufacturing executives on Thursday, fly to Morocco on Friday, party on Saturday, return to New York on Sunday, hold more conferences on Monday and return to California on Tuesday.