Legislator, 3 Aides Testify in Federal Inquiry of Robbins : Grand jury: The investigation is said to be focusing on the Van Nuys Democrat’s actions in amending a bill for a car rental agency.

An assemblyman and three legislative aides testified this week before a federal grand jury investigating whether Sen. Alan Robbins of Van Nuys misused his office in 1988 when he sought to amend a bill on behalf of a Beverly Hills automobile rental agency.

Assemblyman Lloyd Connelly (D-Sacramento), his chief of staff, Timothy Howe, and two other legislative aides said they were questioned Tuesday by the grand jury, which has been investigating the San Fernando Valley Democrat for more than two years as part of a continuing political corruption probe.

Earlier this year, The Times reported that federal authorities had subpoenaed legislative records on a 1988 Connelly bill that could have helped MDR Enterprises, which leases expensive cars through the Beverly Hills Car Collection.

The Times also reported that Robbins had obtained a red Mercedes-Benz for a girlfriend from the agency. The woman, Cynthia Kay, said she had been questioned by the grand jury about the car.

Grand jurors are now pursuing another aspect of the relationship between Robbins and the car-rental agency. The legislative staffers said the grand jury has focused on Robbins’ behind-the-scenes role in amending the Connelly bill. The bill, as initially drafted, would have made auto-rental agencies financially responsible for damages in an accident, preventing them from recovering losses from a customer’s insurance company.

Connelly acknowledged that he was questioned about “the pending investigation of Alan Robbins” but declined to discuss details of his testimony.

One legislative aide, who asked not to be identified, said he was questioned about a section in the Connelly bill that would have exempted agencies such as MDR that specialize in “exotic cars.”

The staffer said he was asked whether he knew of a connection between Robbins and Allan J. Siemons, president of MDR Enterprises. The aide said he told the grand jury that the provision on exotic cars “almost became like the Robbins amendment, the Robbins issue.”

In an interview Thursday, Siemons acknowledged that he was part of a trade association delegation that came to Sacramento to discuss the legislation. But Siemons distanced himself from Robbins, saying that he is “not a significant player in any issues of Mr. Robbins life.”

Besides the specifics of the Connelly bill, the legislative aides said the grand jury asked about whether the Senate followed normal procedures in handling the legislation.

The legislative aides said the federal prosecutors sought to establish “that Robbins tried to influence the bill assignment” by attempting to persuade the Senate Rules Committee to send the measure to the Senate Insurance, Claims and Corporations Committee, of which Robbins is the chairman.

The bill, however, was sent to the Judiciary Committee, where the key insurance provision was dropped. Robbins did not testify before the committee or play any public role in the committee’s action. When the bill arrived on the Senate floor, it was approved on a 38-0 vote, with Robbins voting in favor, and signed into law by the governor.

“In the context of this place,” one of the aides said, “what Robbins did wasn’t inappropriate. Members get amendments all the time because they have a friend or constituent.”

Robbins’ lawyer said it would be inappropriate for him to discuss the investigation. In the past, the senator has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the political corruption investigation that surfaced nearly three years ago when FBI agents raided the offices of four legislators.

It has led to the conviction of two state elected officials on extortion and racketeering charges--former Sen. Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier) and Board of Equalization member Paul B. Carpenter.