CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS / 12TH DISTRICT : Bernson’s Fund Raising Triples Korenstein’s, but Bottom Line Now Same

Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson has raised more than three times as much money in the past month as challenger Julie Korenstein in their battle for Bernson’s council seat representing the northwestern San Fernando Valley, despite Bernson’s decision to accept no more contributions from Porter Ranch-related interests.

But they go into the last two weeks of the campaign with about $20,000 each because Bernson has spent more.

According to campaign finance reports filed Thursday, Bernson raised $124,852 from April 10 to May 18.

Korenstein raised $36,641 in the same period, her report showed, $10,000 of it a loan from herself.

The money for the loan came from a divorce settlement, said her campaign manager, Parke Skelton, in reply to the Bernson campaign’s pointed inquiry into how a $24,000-a-year school board member could afford such a loan.

Despite his large lead in fund raising, Bernson had $22,357 in cash on hand as of May 18, to Korenstein’s $20,987, the reports showed. Bernson has spent the difference on consultants, literature and polling.

Since Jan. 1, Bernson has raised $325,751 to Korenstein’s $121,797.

The election is June 4.

Bernson was forced into a runoff election against Korenstein after he attracted only 35% of the vote in the April 9 primary. She finished second with 29%, and the remainder of the votes went to four other candidates.

The reports show Bernson received much of his money from real estate interests, including lobbyists, while Korenstein relied on liberal and union-based sources for her funding.

But Bernson did not show any contributions from interests directly related to the controversial Porter Ranch project in this most recent report, as he had in a report earlier this year.

Taking such money now would only invite bad publicity, Bernson aide Greig Smith said.

Bernson has been heavily criticized for taking more than $26,000 from principals in the Porter Ranch project, or their relatives or companies, and then voting to support a blueprint for developing their 1,300-acre property in the hills north of Chatsworth.

Bernson campaign consultant Harvey Englander accused Korenstein of benefiting from an “illegal contribution” of services because her campaign management team--Skelton, Grover & Associates--is apparently working for free. Korenstein’s most recent statement shows no payments to the firm.

According to Englander, Korenstein cannot receive services worth more than $500 from Skelton without violating the city’s campaign finance reform law, which bars council candidates from receiving contributions in excess of $500 from any individual.

“Skelton has to have provided more than $500 in services” during the past month, Englander estimated.

But Skelton said there was nothing illegal about the firm’s decision not to bill Korenstein. “Basically, we’re working for nothing now,” Skelton said. “We couldn’t win this campaign if we took our fees out of it.” Besides, he argued, he can set any price he wants for his services.