Korenstein Complaint Targets Bernson

Los Angeles City Council candidate Julie Korenstein said Tuesday she filed a complaint with the state’s political watchdog agency, charging that Councilman Hal Bernson failed to properly identify his financial contributors on state-required campaign reports.

Korenstein, who is among six candidates challenging Bernson in the April 9 city primary election, contended that Bernson did not list addresses, occupations or employers for 101 people who contributed to his reelection committee in the last six months of 1990.

Korenstein campaign manager Parke Skelton said although candidates commonly fail to identify a few contributors, Bernson exhibited “willful disregard” for the reporting law by failing to identify so many donors.

Bernson spokesman Hal Dash said Korenstein’s complaint to the state Fair Political Practices Commission was “truly an amateurish stunt” designed to get her some easy publicity.

Dash said that two weeks ago, the councilman sent letters to contributors who had provided incomplete identification and informed them that the information was required by law.

“This is not an infraction, not a violation, and all information will be provided to the FPPC,” he said.