Agent Testifies Robbins Office Sought Money for Legislation : Corruption trial: Ex-Sen. Carpenter said he would take care of the Tarzana Democrat’s alleged request for ‘funds,’ taped conversation shows.

The office of Sen. Alan Robbins once inquired whether the senator would receive “funds” for helping win passage of dummy legislation planted by the FBI, an undercover agent testified Monday.

However, the Tarzana Democrat did not receive any money because then-Sen. Paul Carpenter--who collected $20,000 from the agent--said he would take care of Robbins, according to a secretly tape-recorded conversation played in federal court.

“Every time a little fire like that, ah, comes up we try and stamp (on) it,” Carpenter told the agent as he promised to continue working for passage of the measure.

Carpenter, now a member of the State Board of Equalization, is on trial in U.S. District Court on four counts of racketeering, attempted extortion and conspiracy as a result of the FBI’s undercover investigation of corruption in the state Capitol.

Monday’s testimony from FBI Agent John E. Brennan marks the first time Robbins has been linked with an attempt to solicit money from undercover agents in connection with the bogus bill that was designed to give a $1-million tax break to the FBI’s shrimp-importing “company.”

Robbins is under investigation by the FBI as part of the probe, but no charges have been filed against him.

An aide to Robbins said the senator had nothing to say about the incident recounted in court by Brennan, who posed during the investigation as an Alabama businessman seeking special help from the Legislature.

“He is not making any comment on that because he doesn’t feel it’s appropriate,” said spokeswoman Teri Burns.

Carpenter’s tape-recorded agreement to take care of Robbins is significant because the prosecution hopes that the conversation demonstrates that Carpenter took action to promote the bogus legislation at the same time he was receiving the $20,000.

Carpenter’s defense, however, contends that he was simply being diplomatic in his conversations with Brennan and never took action to help the bill.

Robbins helped push the shrimp bill through the Legislature when he sat as acting chairman of the Senate Banking and Commerce Committee, where the measure was approved 6 to 0.

Brennan testified that after the committee hearing, an unidentified person from Robbins’ office contacted the staff of Assemblywoman Gwen Moore, the official author of the bill. The agent said Robbins’ representative asked if the backers of the measure would “make available funds for Robbins . . . since he had helped get the bill through committee.”

The FBI tape recording shows that Brennan later recounted the request to Carpenter.

“That’s something you’re taking care (of) isn’t it?” Brennan asked.

“Right,” Carpenter replied.

At one point in the investigation, Brennan’s cover is nearly blown after he repeatedly attempts to draw legislators and staff members into open discussions of illegal activities.

John Shahabian, then an aide to Carpenter who negotiated the $20,000 payment, accused Brennan of “operating like a loose cannon” and scaring Moore, among others.

“When you walk out the door everybody says, ‘Is this guy with the FBI?’ ” Shahabian said in one taped conversation. “Because . . . you come in and you just say things that people don’t say around here. . . . Poor Gwen I think is petrified.”

Moore received $5,000 directly from Brennan in 1986 but later returned the money. During a second phase of the sting in 1988, she received $2,000 from another undercover agent and kept the money. Like Robbins, she remains under investigation by the FBI.

Despite his concern, Shahabian accepted a total of $15,000 in contributions for Carpenter’s campaign fund, later receiving $7,500 of the money for himself. In one conversation, Shahabian and the agent discussed the bill in the Senate aide’s office as Brennan wrote out a $5,000 check for Carpenter’s campaign.

Ultimately, Shahabian was confronted with his tape-recorded statements and agreed to cooperate with the FBI. He is scheduled to testify this week against Carpenter.

After the measure passed the Legislature, Brennan returned to his home base in Alabama without paying Carpenter the final $5,000 he had promised. For a time, Brennan testified, he avoided Shahabian’s calls so that Carpenter and his aide would become anxious about the money and “pursue us.”

Finally, after Shahabian insisted that Brennan pay up, the agent returned to Sacramento and personally handed Carpenter a $5,000 check during lunch at Frank Fat’s, a popular restaurant near the Capitol.

During lunch, Carpenter lectured Brennan about the need to keep his word saying, “You don’t have to commit. But when you commit, uh, then you’re locked in.”