Mays Attacked for Site of His Fund-Raiser

Mayor Thomas J. Mays came under attack Friday for using the home of a city planning commissioner as the site of a political fund-raiser attended by about 80 people, including a major developer with a project scheduled to come before the commission.

Rival Assembly candidate Peter von Elten, who the day before was criticized by Mays for participating in a political dinner with South County developers, charged that the mayor caused a conflict of interest for the commissioner.

Mays, however, said no law was violated and that Planning Commissioner Kenneth Bourguignon’s only involvement was the use of his house.

A spokeswoman for the Fair Political Practices Commission in Sacramento said she could not comment directly on the matter since state law is not precise on the use of an appointed official’s house for a fund-raiser.

But Bob Biddle, president of the citizens’ group Huntington Beach Tomorrow, said he believes it is unethical for planning commissioners to be put into fund-raising roles in which they have contact with developers who might come before them.

At issue was a $150-a-couple event for Mays on Thursday night at Bourguignon’s Huntington Harbour home. Guests included Jonathan Chodos, developer-coordinator for the controversial Pierside Village commercial project, which still must win Planning Commission approval.

The Bourguignon event was held the same day that Mays accused von Elten of trying to tap South County developers for donations at a dinner arranged by two Orange County Planning Commission members. (On Friday, the commissioners were chastised by members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for appearing to use their positions to support a political candidate.)

Von Elten and Mays are among five candidates competing for the Republican nomination for the 58th Assembly District, which includes Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and parts of Long Beach and Los Alamitos. Other candidates in the June 5 election are Long Beach physician Seymour Alban and Long Beach City Council members Jan Hall and Jeffrey A. Kellogg.

In reaction to von Elten’s dinner, Mays had said he was concerned about the Assembly race “being funded by special interests. . . . It appears to me the (county) Planning Commission is putting the squeeze on developers.”

On Friday, von Elten responded: “Tom Mays is the biggest hypocrite I’ve ever encountered.”

Von Elten also charged that the Bourguignon event was a “developer shakedown” and “was nothing more than political extortion in its lowest form. . . .

“The only difference between his (Mays’) event and mine is that I didn’t get any money from the one held for me.”

Mays, however, said that von Elten’s event involved two commissioners in directly soliciting developers for funds. By contrast, said Mays, Bourguignon’s only involvement was that he allowed his home to be used as the fund-raising site.

“The event was held by CORPAC, the Conservative Republican Political Action Committee,” Mays said. “Ken was only loaning his house.”

Bourguignon on Friday said that he saw no conflict in the matter.

“It cost me a couple of thousand (to host the event), and it came out of my pocket, and I got nothing back,” he said. Bourguignon agreed that “it’s possible” that some projects pushed by someone at his party will come before the city Planning Commission. “If that happens, I just won’t vote,” he said.

Chodos, the Pierside Village developer, said in an interview Friday that he attended the fund-raiser as a guest--that someone else bought his ticket. He said he did not feel pressured to attend.

“I support Tom Mays because he’s been a good mayor and has a record of supporting redevelopment” downtown, Chodos said. “Tom has already taken a public stand as being in support of Pierside Restaurants,” the new name for Pierside Village.

“At no point was I approached for funds,” Chodos said.

Huntington Beach City Councilman Jim Silva also attended the Mays fund-raiser. In an interview Friday, Silva said that other than the ticket for admission, developers were not asked to contribute to Mays.

Von Elten, in a press release Friday, charged that Mays has been involved in “a four-year history of shaking down developers, oil companies and businesses and then casting a vote on their behalf. . . . He’s doing the same thing that resulted in the FBI sting operation in Sacramento.”

Mays replied: “Von Elten is attempting to rub off some of his sleaze factor on me.”

Mays said he has not used any pressure tactics to solicit campaign funds.

“I haven’t strong-armed anybody,” he said.