Ban on Fund Raising by City Employees Proposed : Politics: Common Cause will seek new campaign rules in L.A. Meanwhile, two agencies are looking at possible illegal activities within Bradley Administration.

A citizens’ lobby that has been an advocate for political reform in California said Tuesday it will push for a strict ban on campaign fund raising by all Los Angeles city employees and commissioners.

“You should not be allowed to be a city employee (or commissioner) and raise money for any politician,” said Lisa Foster, executive director of California Common Cause.

The call for a ban on fund raising by all appointees and employees went beyond the reforms urged by other campaign law experts this week in response to stories in The Times reporting possibly illegal campaign activity within the Bradley Administration.

Meanwhile, the state attorney general’s office and Los Angeles County district attorney’s office were reviewing the articles Tuesday and conferring about opening a criminal investigation, said Scott Thorpe, head of the state attorney general’s criminal division.

A spokesman for Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner said prosecutors have concluded that the issues raised by the articles bear “further looking into.” They have offered the Los Angeles Police Department the services of a deputy prosecutor with expertise in political corruption, said Mike Botula, Reiner’s spokesman.

“We are going to confer with the district attorney’s office tomorrow (Wednesday) to determine specifically what should be investigated and by whom,” said Cmdr. William Booth of the Police Department.

The Times reported Monday that in the past five years Bradley’s staff operated a political fund-raising network inside City Hall that utilized city telephones, secretaries, equipment and apparently staff time, records and interviews show.

City employees and Bradley’s commissioners have raised more than $700,000 for the mayor since 1985, often from lobbyists, contractors, developers and other special interests with business ties to the city, records and interviews showed.

Also, several commissioners held fund-raisers in their homes that produced contributions from firms and individuals with matters before their agencies--a possible violation of state conflict-of-interest laws.

The mayor’s aides generally have defended their actions or declined comment. Some have said the applicable laws are confusing and have not been properly explained.

Bradley has declined to be interviewed on the fund-raising activities, although in prepared statements he has insisted he enforced a strict policy of separating city and campaign business.

On Tuesday, Bradley again declined to comment, telling a Times reporter in New York who wished to question him about the series, “I haven’t seen it! I haven’t seen it! I have not seen it!”

Bradley is in New York for a conference of mayors before traveling to Mexico City today for a sister-city visit.

The mayor’s office declined to comment on the possibility of a criminal investigation.

Foster said her organization, which has sought state political reform laws and pushed for the city’s new ethics law, will work with the Los Angeles Ethics Commission to develop a ban on fund raising by City Hall employees and appointees.

The organization will seek new city ordinances, if necessary, to implement the ban, she said.

City Council President John Ferraro, who unsuccessfully ran against Bradley for mayor in 1985, said he also thought it “might be a good idea” to ban fund raising by staff.

“Everybody knows you can’t mix city business with personal campaigning,” Ferraro said.

On Monday, Bob Stern, co-director of the nonprofit California Commission on Campaign Financing, called for a statewide ban on fund raising by aides of elected officials. Geoff Cowan, former president of California Common Cause and chairman of a commission that developed the city’s ethics law, said public employees should be banned from seeking donations from individuals or businesses they or their bosses deal with officially.

Foster said such reforms are needed quickly because Los Angeles is on the verge of a period of political movement and campaigning. She cited the open contest for a new Los Angeles County supervisorial seat, term limits that may open up state legislative seats and a 1993 mayoral race that is likely to be hotly contested.

She said Common Cause also will seek legislation in the coming legislative session in Sacramento to restrict fund raising by government aides of elected officials.

“The same issues come up any time you have an incumbent running for election,” Foster said of the apparently improper campaign activities in Bradley’s office. “It happens all the time. It is sort of the underside of campaigning that doesn’t get a lot of attention.”