Lawsuit Alleges Misuse of Funds by 2 on Norwalk Council

Government watchdog Ed White has sued two Norwalk City Council members, alleging that they violated state law by either improperly spending campaign money or inaccurately reporting their campaign finances.

The lawsuits accuse Mayor Mike Mendez and Councilwoman Grace M. Napolitano of committing the violations during a four-year period ending in 1991.

The lawsuits, which were filed recently in Downey Municipal Court, do not cover the current campaign season. Mendez is seeking reelection in the city’s April 14 election. Napolitano is running for the state Assembly’s 58th District seat in the June 2 primary.

White, who is seeking more than $10,000 in damages, contends that neither is fit to hold office. “If they can’t add and they can’t subtract and they can’t follow rules, how the devil are they going to look at the city budget and know what’s going on?” White said.

One lawsuit accuses Napolitano of improperly donating $300 in campaign funds to a local Boy Scouts troop. It also accuses the councilwoman of failing to report interest income of her campaign bank account and of failing to account for all financial transactions.

The second lawsuit contends that Mendez did not report interest income from his campaign bank account. It also accuses him, in some cases, of failing to disclose who received campaign funds as required by law.

Mendez said last week that he and his treasurer did forget to report interest income earned on his campaign account, but that it amounted to less than $10. “We didn’t know we were supposed to declare it,” he said. “It wasn’t like we were trying to hide six, seven, eight bucks. We didn’t do anything purposely wrong. I think this is one of those things where the guy is trying to create trouble for Grace and me because we are running for (elected office), but I’m confident there is nothing in the lawsuit that is of major significance.”

Timely testimonials--Long Beach City Councilman Wallace Edgerton took a drubbing from 10 former supporters who lined up in front of the Bixby Park bandstand recently to declare their allegiance to one of his challengers in the April elections.

Appearing at an “I switched” news conference arranged by Alan Lowenthal, their new hero, the 10 explained why they no longer deemed the incumbent worthy of their support.

“Wally Edgerton divides people,” declared Dennis Rockway, vice president of Long Beach Area Citizens Involved.

“He’s pandering to the lowest political common denominator of hatred and bigotry,” said Marc Coleman, the president of the citizens group. Coleman succeeded Lowenthal as president of the organization.

“I’m sick and tired of a councilman who will promise everything and anything to everybody,” said Julia Takahashi of the Council of Neighborhoods.

Edgerton last week shrugged off the press conference, saying that he has broad-based support from the leaders of several neighborhood organizations. He characterized the complaints as gripes from a “very extreme left-wing radical” group that is angry at him for his stand against more public-assisted housing in the 2nd District. He said that although the citizens group once supported him, the organization became more militant “looking for power” when Lowenthal took over its presidency two years ago.

“Alan is a master of propaganda and media manipulation, and he’s got people believing that this small fringe group has power,” Edgerton said. “They don’t, and you’ll see that on April 14.”

New career?--Former Bell Gardens City Manager Claude Booker, who was fired Wednesday, was standing outside the Elks Lodge on March 10 when it became clear that four of his biggest critics had just been overwhelmingly elected to the City Council. A friend walked by and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, knowing that Booker would be fired.

“It’s OK,” Booker assured the man. “Bazil (Sugden, a longtime Bell Gardens businessman) said he would give me a job.”

“Yeah?” the friend asked, puzzled.

“Yeah,” Booker joked. “He wants to know if I can drive a truck.”

Political events--Democratic Party activists will hold a forum for candidates running in the new 56th Assembly District. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Peninsula Center Library, 650 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. The 54th Assembly District covers most of Long Beach, and includes San Pedro and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. . . . The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a forum for Long Beach City Council candidates in the 4th District, from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, at the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center’s Van Dyke Auditorium, 2801 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach.