Bradley Contributor Sent Business to CRA Official, Got Favorable Vote

A city commissioner personally benefited from a business deal arranged by one of Mayor Tom Bradley’s political contributors, then voted to approve a $1.7-million contract renewal for the contributor, records show.

As a gift to the city, insurance executive Mary Anne Chalker promised to raise about $40,000 to redecorate and refurbish the mayor’s City Hall office two years ago.

The decorator paid to do the remodeling work was Dollie Chapman, a Bradley appointee to the Community Redevelopment Agency.

During the same period, Chapman voted to renew a CRA contract for Chalker’s firm, LFC Insurance Brokers and Agents. And she did not report the work for Chalker on financial disclosure forms. Both were possible violations of state conflict-of-interest laws.

Chapman said there was nothing improper about her accepting the redecorating work at City Hall. “This was friends of Tom Bradley who wanted to give a gift to the city,” she said.

Chapman said she was unaware that the disclosure requirement might apply to her and said she did not recall even voting on Chalker’s contract. She said she filled out her state-required financial disclosure reports at the direction of CRA lawyers, but could not remember their names.

Spokesmen for the CRA’s law firm--Kane, Ballmer & Berkman--said they gave Chapman only general advice on disclosure rules when she joined the commission in 1983.

Officials at the state Fair Political Practices Commission declined as a matter of policy to comment on Chapman’s actions.

But former FPPC general counsel Robert Stern said: “Disclosure is designed to inform the public as to any potential conflicts that an official might have. . . . She failed to disclose some income that an official must disclose on her statement of economic interest.”

Mayor Tom Bradley declined to be interviewed about the redecoration of his office. Deputy Mayor Mark Fabiani said “the mayor was not involved in deciding who was hired to run the renovation.”

Private donations financed the redecoration because the mayor did not want to spend public money to redo his office, said Fabiani.

CRA records show that in December, 1987, commissioner Chapman voted with the commission majority to renew the CRA’s exclusive $1.3-million insurance policies with Chalker’s firm, LFC.

A few months later, insurance executive Chalker began raising funds for the mayor’s office redecoration project, according to internal Bradley campaign documents made available to The Times under a court order. She also began negotiating costs with commissioner Chapman.

Chapman sent Chalker a preliminary redecoration estimate of $55 per square foot, including “my consultation fee, sales tax and delivery charges.” And later Bradley, Chalker and Chapman met in the mayor’s office to discuss the costs of carpets, display cabinets, lamps, furniture and other items, documents show.

On June 14, commissioner Chapman wrote to Chalker, saying “The project will come in at $39,900.” She also noted that delivery and arrangement of the furniture inside City Hall “will be under my supervision, and coordinated with the mayor’s staff. . . .”

Two months later, on Aug. 5, Chalker and her insurance company donated $15,000 toward the cost of the project--$10,000 from LFC and $5,000 from Chalker.

The money was given as a political donation to the Bradley campaign. But in a note to Bradley’s campaign accountant, Chalker directed that the money be spent “for redecoration of mayoralty offices. Kindly issue your (campaign) check to Dollie Chapman. . . . Additional checks from other contributors will follow.” A copy of the letter was sent to commissioner Chapman.

Within three days, a check for $15,000 was issued to Chapman on the checking account of Friends of Tom Bradley, campaign records show.

Four months later, LFC’s insurance contract came up for renewal by the CRA. Chapman seconded the motion and voted with the majority of CRA commissioners to increase the insurance business with Chalker’s firm to $1.7 million.

Chapman said she had no recollection of that vote--”not at all. We vote on 25 to 30 items a week.”

Chapman said that she could not remember any financial details of the remodeling project, nor could she recall how she was chosen. Campaign documents show that she was paid at least $23,644, including the $10,000 from LFC and $5,000 from Chalker.

Chalker declined to comment.

Chalker, her firm and its executives have given more than $60,000 to Bradley campaigns since 1983, including the redecorating money. Bradley’s campaign accountant, Jules Glazer, said it was his understanding that the redecorating was “kind of a charitable thing” in which campaign donations were used as a gift to the city.