Woman Gets Year for Taking Bernson Funds

A Van Nuys woman was sentenced to a year in jail Tuesday for stealing more than $100,000 from two political committees of Los Angeles Councilman Hal Bernson.

Toni Lee Corpuel, 46, a former bookkeeper for an Encino accounting firm employed as treasurer of Bernson’s political committees, was also sentenced by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz to five years probation and to make restitution of an undetermined amount. Corpuel pleaded no contest to grand theft in April under an agreement in which two other counts of grand theft were dropped.

Corpuel was arrested Jan. 30 after $126,629 was discovered missing from funds for Bernson’s “Office-Holder Committee” and “Bernson for Lt. Governor 1994 Committee,” according to campaign finance reports.

Bernson said in his campaign reports that banks in which the committees’ funds were deposited failed to follow agreed-on safeguards by allowing Corpuel to withdraw money with checks signed by her alone, when two signatures were required.

Corpuel did not speak during the sentencing. Deputy Public Defender Mitch Bruckner, who represented her, said afterward that his client was remorseful over the theft. He said Corpuel took the money because her mother was dying of cancer and she wanted to better provide for her. Her mother has since died. Corpuel remains free on $15,000 bail until June 24, when her jail term begins and a restitution plan is finalized.