The Crimes of Silberman May Yet Return to Haunt Golding’s Future

The common wisdom is that Supervisor Susan Golding survived her husband’s money-laundering trial without much damage to her chances of being elected mayor in 1992.

Indeed, the trial produced no evidence that Golding knew that her husband, Richard T. Silberman, was fiddling with what he thought was Colombian drug money.

But that doesn’t mean the case won’t return to harass Golding politically.

If it does become an issue, Exhibit A may be a sizzling document filed by federal prosecutors in response to Silberman’s recent plea of poverty.

Prosecutors argue that, after his arrest, Silberman began transferring his property and other assets to Golding in an attempt to avoid a massive fine or forfeiture of assets.

Silberman and Golding arranged to swap half-interests in adjoining houses on La Jolla Scenic Drive, making Silberman full owner of one, Golding full owner of the other.

Silberman’s house was then sold for $920,000, which Silberman said netted only $170,000.

Prosecutors suspect that the equity in the house retained by Golding is “substantially higher” than $170,000.

In short: Golding gets lots of equity, Silberman gets the chance to plead poverty. The Golding house is now for sale for $1.7 million.

Silberman also transferred his Jaguar to Golding. Later, his son, Jeff, bought Silberman’s Mercedes-Benz.

The prosecutors said: “The court should not countenance a procedure whereby a defendant pleads ‘poverty’ after transferring away his assets to family members.”

As an added shot, prosecutors contend that Golding should be held liable for Silberman’s remaining $1.5-million legal bill. The bill was mailed to Golding’s County Administration Center office, addressed to both her and her husband.

Normally accessible to the press, Golding hasn’t been available this week to discuss her finances or her political future.

Buy/Rent/Lease . . . Please!

It says here.

* How cold is the real estate market?

The Jelley Co., one of San Diego’s biggest firms, is reduced to handing out flyers on downtown street corners to hawk its Mid-City bargains:

“Free phone qualification with no obligation!”

* Forget the package of goodies being arranged by the Convention & Visitors Bureau. If San Diego lands the Republican National Convention for 1992, it may be the personal ties that count.

Like the fact that Sig Rogich, the Las Vegas advertising executive who is President Bush’s liaison with the site selection committee, keeps his boat at Harbor Island.

And Ben Ginsberg, the Republicans’ chief counsel, adores the Sunday brunch at La Valencia in La Jolla and the south course of Torrey Pines Golf Course.

* A Carlsbad surfer faces a misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly “shooting” his surfboard last weekend at a woman swimmer, badly cutting her leg with the board’s fin.

Police say it’s part of an aquatic turf squabble between swimmers and surfers off Carlsbad State Beach. The surfer spent four days in jail before making bail.

A Cemetery Divided

Anyone whose interest in the Civil War was piqued by the recent PBS series might want to visit Mount Hope Cemetery in Southeast San Diego.

Founded in 1869, Mount Hope has separate Union and Confederate sections for soldiers who survived the war but died in San Diego. Each section has its own monument.

The Union section has greater numbers and a superior position on the top of a hill. There’s probably battlefield symbolism there.