PACs Make a Representative Showing in O.C.

Three Orange County congressmen rank among California’s top recipients of political contributions from the energy and health-care industries, according to a new study by Common Cause.

However, the study indicates that Orange County lawmakers rely less heavily than most congressmen on special interest money. It also shows that political action committee contributions to the county’s conservative Republican delegation came almost exclusively from business groups.

The Common Cause report analyzed contributions made by political action committees--called PACs--to California’s 45-member congressional delegation from 1983 through 1988.

“What it shows is the extraordinary extent that special interest . . . money is involved in congressional campaign financing,” said Common Cause President Fred Wertheimer. “The lobbying groups that put up the money to finance these campaigns are getting special advantages over the average voter.”

Common Cause is backing several measures that would restrict PAC contributions.

In Orange County, Reps. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) and Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, on the list of California representatives who received financial support from the energy industry.

Dornan, however, was near the bottom of the list of overall PAC money recipients, when the contributions were calculated as a percentage of their total campaign contributions. In dollar terms, though, he was in the middle tier, with a total of $400,582 from PACs.

Health-care political action committees contributed heavily to Dannemeyer and Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad), who represents southern Orange County. Dannemeyer ranked seventh on the list of top health PAC recipients, while Packard finished in eighth place.

A strong advocate of offshore oil drilling, Dannemeyer is a member of two key subcommittees of the House Energy and Commerce Committee--the energy and power subcommittee and the panel on health and the environment.

Dannemeyer received $63,500 in contributions from energy PACs during the period of the study, including contributions from Standard Oil of California, Shell Oil Co., Mobil Corp. and Exxon Corp.

Although Packard does not serve on any health-related committees, he is a former dentist and one of the few health professionals in Congress. Between 1983 and 1988, the American Medical Assn. and the American Dental Assn. alone contributed nearly $34,000 to his campaigns.

Dornan is not a member of any energy-related committees, but he has supported offshore oil drilling in the past. In an interview Thursday, he said he is tempering that position in light of the overall reduction in global tensions in recent months.

“I’m able to move closer to the position of a (Sen.) Pete Wilson,” who opposes oil drilling off the California coast, Dornan said. “The issue of our dependence on foreign oil is not nearly as critical as it was six months ago.”

On the issue of special-interest contributions, Dannemeyer said: “There’s no doubt in my mind that those of us who serve in the legislative arena will have our voting records analyzed, and if we vote consistently with the concerns of a particular industry, they’re going to help us.

“Whether or not the prospect for support is going to influence how any of us vote, I don’t make that step in my thinking. There is an appearance, perhaps, of a connection. In my case, it doesn’t exist,” Dannemeyer added.

Packard said he does not emphasize fund raising and is comfortable as long as he relies more heavily on individual contributions than on money from political action committees. He said he would not object to limits on PAC contributions.

Dornan said he could support legislation limiting the influence of political action committees. However, he said he opposes the existing laws which limit contributions from individuals.

“I think it’s limiting freedom of speech to limit individual citizens,” Dornan said, “but PACs, I don’t care what the limitation is, up to and including abolition.”

The issue of PAC money perhaps is less volatile in Orange County because Orange County congressmen generally are less dependent on political action committees than the rest of their California colleagues.

Dornan, who collected only 10% of his 1983-1988 political contributions from PACs, ranked 42nd out of 44 in terms of the percentage of his dependence on special interest money. (Rep. Gary Condit who won office in a special election in 1989, was not included in the study.)

Rep. C. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) took in 17% of his total contributions from PACs, putting him in 40th place. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Lomita), who represents northwestern Orange County, finished 32nd, taking 34% of his money from PACs. Packard placed 26th, with PACs contributing 42% of his total, while Dannemeyer followed in 25th place, with PACs accounting for 44% of his contributions.

In terms of actual dollars contributed by PACs in the five-year period, Dornan finished 22nd, with PAC contributions of $400,582, followed by Dannemeyer, in 23rd place, with $380,167. Packard placed 27th, with $338,392. Cox and Rohrabacher, who both were first elected in 1988, finished 41st and 42nd, with respective totals of $190,648 and $175,074.

Staff writer Alan C. Miller contributed to this story.

COUNTY’S CONGRESSIONAL PACMEN

Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to members of Congress, 1983-88.

PAC Receipts PAC % of Member (District) 1983-88 Total Receipts Robert K. Dornan, $400,582 10% R-Garden Grove (38th) William E. Dannemeyer, $380,167 44% R-Fullerton (39th) Ron Packard, R-Carlsbad (43rd) $338,392 42% C. Christopher Cox, $190,648 17% R-Newport Beach (40th) * Dana Rohrabacher, $175,074 34% R-Lomita (42nd) *

* Cox and Rohrabacher first elected in 1988.

Source: Common Cause