PACs Provide Hefty Aid to Lawmakers : Politics: The groups contributed at least half of the campaign funds for 15 members of California’s congressional delegation over a six-year period.

Fifteen members of Congress from California received at least half of their campaign contributions between 1983 and 1988 from political action committees, according to a new study of federal election records released Thursday by Common Cause.

Two Californians--Reps. Vic Fazio and Robert Matsui, both Sacramento Democrats--each received nearly $1 million in PAC contributions during the period.

Rep. Augustus Hawkins (D-Los Angeles) led in the percentage of his campaign funds--89%--provided by PACs, while Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) each received 77% of their money from PACs.

Hawkins, a 38-year House veteran who plans to retire at the end of the year, stands to benefit personally from some of his PAC contributions. Under the law, any House member elected before January, 1980, can convert his campaign funds to personal use when he retires. Hawkins still had $148,795 in his campaign coffers at the end of 1989.

The only Californian who did not take PAC money was Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Los Angeles). After Beilenson, the two who received the lowest percentage of their total funds from PACs were Reps. Ron Dellums (D-Oakland), 7%, and Robert Dornan (R-Garden Grove), 10%.

The study of contributions to California’s 45 House members was released by Common Cause, a self-styled citizens lobby, just as Congress begins to consider legislation that would limit future PAC contributions. A leading proposal by Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-Me.) would limit PAC spending to 12% of total contributions.

“Our current system of financing congressional campaigns is corrupt, and special-interest PAC contributions are at the heart of the problem,” said Common Cause President Fred Wertheimer. “Comprehensive campaign finance reform legislation must be enacted this year to restore integrity to congressional decisions and fairness to congressional elections.”

Members of Congress have been accused of relying too heavily on PAC donations, instead of seeking individual voter contributions.

In response to the survey, Congress members contacted by The Times uniformly insisted that their judgment was not swayed by PAC contributions.

A spokesman for Waxman offered a typical explanation, saying he “assumes they are contributing because they support the issues the congressman is working on.”

Fazio, who aspires to a top leadership position in the House, received $982,911, or 54% of his campaign contributions, from PACs.

Among Fazio’s biggest contributors were the California Almond Growers Exchange, $15,500; the Associated Milk Producers, $13,000; Northrop Corp., $10,000; Southern California Edison Co., $11,050; National Assn. of Realtors, $19,650; American Medical Assn., $26,000, and the National Assn. of Letter Carriers, $22,100.

Matsui, a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, received $964,754, or 50% of his campaign financing, from PACs, with $588,920 coming from business interests and $163,275 from labor.

His biggest contributors included the California Almond Growers Exchange, $13,500; Pacific Telephone, $15,250; American Bankers Assn., $10,500; National Venture Capital Assn., $13,000, and National Assn. of Realtors, $24,350.

Waxman, who chairs the health and environment subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, received $512,774 from PACs--many of them groups affected by legislation before his subcommittee.

Pelosi, who serves on the House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee, received $506,627 from PACs, with $239,172 coming from labor groups and $140,705 from business.

Pelosi’s PAC fund-raising success was particularly notable because she was not elected until June, 1987.

Among Californians, Rep. Fortney H. (Pete) Stark (D-Oakland) raised the third-largest amount from PACs--$870,692, or 53% of his total fund-raising. He also led all House members in contributions from medical associations, with $159,513, and insurance PACs, with $174,911. He chairs the health subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Other Californians who received more than half of their contributions from PACs were Reps. Julian Dixon (D-Los Angeles), 65%; Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), 65%; Don Edwards (D-San Jose), 63%; William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield), 62%; Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park), 58%; Richard H. Lehman (D-Sanger), 58%; Glenn M. Anderson (D-San Pedro), 51%; Esteban Torres (D-La Puente), 51%, and Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale), 50%.

Rep. George E. Brown Jr. (D-Colton) led all Californians in fund-raising from labor PACS. He received $367,722 from labor out of a total of $735,711 from all PACs.

The biggest PAC contributors to California members of Congress were the National Assn. of Realtors, $610,000; American Medical Assn., $492,325; National Education Assn., $395,800; Teamsters Union, $325,090; National Assn. of Retired Federal Employees, $312,350; United Auto Workers, $240,195; National Assn. of Home Builders, $233,914; National Assn. of Letter Carriers, $221,914; Machinists Union, $219,760, and Auto Dealers for Free Trade, $210,300.