Robbins Suggested Payoff for Montoya, Senate Aide Testifies : Justice: An FBI informant says that the Tarzana lawmaker would not take a payment. He says Robbins urged him to try Montoya, who is now on trial for corruption.

Advice from state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana) led an FBI informant to offer “a payoff” of $3,000 to Sen. Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier) for his help in pushing a bill, the informant testified Thursday at Montoya’s trial.

But, according to a secret FBI recording of the June 8, 1988, conversation, Robbins also turned down a contribution from the informant for himself, saying, “I don’t need to be taken care of on every bill that comes through.”

Robbins’ role came to light in testimony by Senate aide John Shahabian in the third week of Montoya’s trial in U.S. District Court on 12 counts of extortion, racketeering and corruption.

In a telephone interview, Robbins maintained that the tape “makes it clear that I didn’t have any interest in receiving money from Shahabian or his clients.”

Robbins had joined television stations in requesting the release by the court of the undercover tapes. In addition, Robbins took the unusual step of releasing his own version of the transcript, noting that the prosecution’s version had about 17 inaudible passages that Robbins’ own transcriber had managed to clarify.

The veteran San Fernando Valley lawmaker refused to discuss portions of the tape--which are the same in his version and the government’s--in which he appears to suggest that Shahabian contact Montoya and give him a contribution.

Robbins, who has been called as a witness by both sides in the case, said: “I’ve been advised by legal counsel that it’s inappropriate to comment on any portion of the tape that refers to Sen. Montoya while his trial his pending.”

Robbins described his meeting with Shahabian as a “candid, behind-closed-doors conversation, and obviously I didn’t know it was secretly being taped by the FBI. If I had, I would have given a political speech.”

Shahabian testified that he went to Robbins and asked him to carry the bill to help set up a shrimp-processing plant in the Sacramento area.

The measure, and a similar one introduced in 1986, were part of an elaborate FBI sting operation in the capital, based on a dummy shrimp-processing company. Shahabian told the jury that he began cooperating with the FBI in 1987 after he was snared in the sting.

According to Shahabian’s testimony Thursday, Robbins told him to go back to the original author, Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles). Shahabian also said he and Robbins arranged to meet again when the measure reached the Senate so Robbins could give him “advice on how to proceed to get the bill passed.”

On the afternoon of June 8, Shahabian asked Robbins what they needed to do to get the bill passed. Robbins responded: “OK. Well, you need to make some arrangements with Joe. . . .

“I mean what it’ll take with Joe is, uh, a little envelope,” Robbins said. In court, Shahabian testified that he “took it to mean a payoff.” He also told the jury that he interpreted Robbins’ comments as meaning that Montoya “was interested in personal money,” rather than campaign contributions.

In the conversation, Shahabian pressed Robbins on how much money Montoya would need. Finally, Robbins said: “I would say three would be sufficient. Twenty-five hundred probably be OK.”

On his financial disclosure statement for 1988, Montoya reported receiving a $3,000 “honorarium”--usually, payment for speech--from the shrimp company. Three of the charges against Montoya are based on acceptance of the money.

Also contributing to this story was Times staff writer Daniel M. Weintraub

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT Excerpts of a transcript of a secret FBI recording between Senate aide John Shahabian and state Sen. Alan Robbins:

Shahabian: OK. And you can tell me, you tell me whether I, where, whether I give it to you and you give it to them or whether I give it to them. OK? That’s if there needs to be anything.

Robbins: Do whatever, do, do whatever you wanna do. If you wanna give ‘em contribution, give ‘em contributions, you know. I’m delighted to do it, John, just as a favor for you. You’ve done a lot of favors for me over the years. I’m delighted to do it just as a favor. I don’t, y’know, I don’t need to be taken care of. (IA) every bill that comes through.

Shahabian: Well that’s very nice.

Robbins: No. Uh, it’s a good opportunity for you. And whatever you can do to maximize your own interest, what you get on it, do it.

The notation “IA” stands for “inaudible.” Robbins maintains the missing word is “on . “