Roth Enjoys Political Perks, Associates Say

Ask anyone familiar with Don R. Roth’s style of politicking and they’ll generally describe a “good ol’ boy” who enjoys all the benefits that come with playing hard in the game of the government.

At least once every month in 1991, the 71-year-old Orange County supervisor accepted gifts from lobbyists or business interests, ranging from wealthy real estate developers to an Anaheim maker of trash cans.

The largess included 18 football tickets from the Los Angeles Rams; champagne from an Anaheim car dealer; food baskets and a ticket to the Judds concert from Orange County lobbyist Frank Michelena; golf outings paid by the Irvine Co. and General Telephone and Electronics. Then there are the meals--79 in all--with a number of tabs being paid by the same people who often do business before the Board of Supervisors.

The gifts reported in Roth’s annual disclosure statement--more than those received by any other supervisor--do not breach any law. Yet the statement, filed this month, may be notable for what it does not include: an $8,500 loan and three island trips financed by a family whose relationship with Roth is now a subject of an FBI inquiry into allegations of political corruption.

Friends and associates of Roth say the trail of dinners, trips and complimentary tickets left in the supervisor’s wake during the past year provide a glimpse into the public life of a man who’s grown accustomed to the good life.

“Don enjoys being entertained, being wined and dined,” said William D. Ehrle, an Anaheim city councilman who has already indicated an interest in Roth’s supervisor seat. “And he has a real sense of the good ol’ boy philosophy: You help your friends and punish your enemies. He really enjoys the influence, the power and the recognition.”

It is a philosophy probably more suited to the less restrained political climate of the early 1970s, when as an Anaheim city councilman Roth was building strong alliances with powerhouses like the Walt Disney Co. Elected leaders were not required to report gifts, travel, loans, meals and other amenities provided by constituents above set amounts until 1974.

“Don entered politics when you didn’t have to do that kind of (gift) reporting,” local political consultant Harvey Englander said last week. “Don is a very casual guy. It’s a reciprocal type of a thing with him. You buy him lunch, he’ll buy the next time.”

One local elected official, who declined to be identified but is familiar with Roth, said the supervisor has really never seen a potential problem with accepting gifts.

“That’s the Don I know,” the official said. “He’s been doing it so long that I’m not sure anybody has taken him aside and pounded the fact in his head that he has to watch that sort of thing.”

Roth’s acceptance of gifts has attracted the interest of the FBI, which is looking into his relationship with Gerard J. Dougher of Laguna Beach.

Dougher allowed Roth to live rent-free at one of his mobile home parks for 17 months starting in August, 1990. Roth paid the Dougher family $8,500 three months ago for the back rent, but political finance experts have said the arrangement amounted to an interest-free loan that should have been reported.

Roth could not be reached for comment for this story, but has said he did not report the trips or his rental agreement in part because he did not know that the Doughers had any business before the county. However, it was learned last week that Roth and four other supervisors overturned a Planning Commission decision and approved a condominium project on land owned by the Doughers.

The furor over Roth’s unreported gifts, compounded by recent revelations about the FBI’s pending investigation, has prompted the county’s leading campaign reform activist to call for a ban on all political gift-giving.

Shirley Grindle, who is working for a June initiative that would tighten county campaign restrictions, warned that other politicians should be watching the Roth case.

But lobbyists and other business representatives, some whose names appear on Roth’s most recent report, said the practice of providing favors to politicians is a tradition that continues to be necessary, but also worthy of increased public scrutiny.

Lyle Overby, considered one of the county’s most influential lobbyists, with a client list that has included South County’s Santa Margarita Co. and McDonald’s Restaurants, picked up the tab for eight lunches with the supervisor during the past year. But he is adamant that his $160 bought no political influence.

“It’s an hour in the day that I can meet with them,” Overby said. It would be a mistake, Overby said, “if you are trying to say that these guys have sold their votes for a $20 lunch. . . . All you (reporters) want to do is fry these guys. You are trying to embarrass and destroy people who are honest as the day is long. You don’t have to buy them anything.”

Englander, who has run recent political campaigns for the supervisor, said the golf outings and meals are necessary for establishing relationships between government officials and those who come before them seeking to do business.

“Relationships are important,” Englander said. “If you know that somebody is a good person, maybe you’ll feel better that the person will build a quality development. The personal relationships have always been there. But the public has the right to know who is buying lunch.”

Englander, who believes Roth will weather the storm, said that gifts by themselves carry very little tangible benefits.

“There’s no elected official I know whose vote was ever bought by a golf game or a dinner,” the consultant said. “A lobbyist’s business is based on developing relationships.”

Frank Elfend is one lobbyist who says his success is based on developing good relations with politicians and those in the community affected by the projects he represents.

Elfend has poured thousands of dollars into the municipal campaigns of Anaheim and Orange officials and his name appears on a number of gift statements, including Roth’s.

“In a public hearing you maybe only have a few minutes to explain your project,” Elfend said. “We like to try to communicate our concerns. If you do it over a cup of coffee or during a golf game, that’s part of the process.

“When I leave that elected official,” Elfend said, “they understand my objective. Whether they enjoy playing golf or they enjoy the meal, that’s up to them.”

Gifts Declared by Roth During 1991

California’s Political Reform Act requires that local and state officials file annual statements disclosing their properties, along with gifts, loans, trips, meals and other amenities given to them by constituents. Economic interests and gifts under certain amounts are exempted; for instance, meals below $50 need not be reported. This is how Supervisor Don R. Roth identified the businesses and individuals who gave him gifts last year.

Source Dates Value Description Of Gift(s) City of Anaheim March 15 $100 Angels parking Municipal government Aug. 8 80 Rams parking May 26 44 Angels game tickets Nov. 22 10 Convention Center parking Bert Ashland June 5 $20 Lunch Government relations Nov. 5 20 Lunch Nov. 8 20 Lunch Nov. 14 20 Lunch Ampco Parking Jan. 14 $ 5 Lunch shared Parking company Feb. 14 20 Lunch Oct. 10 30 Dinner Dec. 9 20 Lunch Southern California June 13 $20 Lunch Edison July 10 20 Lunch Public utility Sept. 16 35 Golf Nov. 12 20 Lunch Dec. 6 20 Lunch Bob Cashman Jan. 19 $50 Encore Ball Pacific Envelope Oct. 1 20 Lunch Company Bill Cooper March 12 $20 Lunch Business Investments June 15 50 Orange Blossom S & S Construction Aug. 27 $30 Dinner Real estate Dec. 18 20 Lunch development Mission Viejo Co. Jan. 14 $ 5 Lunch shared Real estate Jan. 25 20 Lunch development March 6 20 Lunch July 22 20 Lunch Aug. 6 20 Lunch Aug. 19 35 Golf Oct. 4 20 Lunch Oct. 21 35 Golf Dec. 16 20 Lunch Nov. 15 30 Dinner Frank Elfend & April 30 $20 Lunch Associates Aug. 21 30 Dinner Government relations Sept. 24 20 Lunch Oct. 16 20 Lunch Dec. 6 30 Dinner GTE/Customer Jan. 14 $ 5.25 Lunch shared Networks March 21 20 Lunch Telecommunications March 26 30 Dinner April 6 11 Baseball ticket June 6 30 Dinner June 17 35 Golf July 3 20 Lunch Aug. 20 20 Lunch Sept. 30 10 Lunch Oct. 10 20 Lunch Dec. 13 20 Lunch Los Angeles Rams Oct. 13 $540 9 pairs of football tickets Professional football Oct. 27 team Nov. 3 Nov. 10 30 Football tickets Nov. 25 Dec. 1 Dec. 8 Sept. 1 Sept. 29 CDC Engineering Feb. 26 $30 Dinner Civil engineering May 21 20 Lunch Dec. 13 20 Lunch John Hundley Feb. 13 $20 Lunch ABC Traffic Schools Dec. 14 30 Dinner Dec. 21 20 Lunch Anaheim Hilton and May 4 $20 Lunch Towers June 22 30 Dinner Retail hotel chain July 7 20 Lunch Dec. 27 15 Basket Irvine Co. Feb. 19 $20 Lunch Real Estate May 24 20 Lunch Development Sept. 7 35 Golf Nov. 1 20 Lunch Caliber Motors May 25 $30 Dinner Automobile dealer Aug. 21 20 Lunch Dec. 20 75 Champagne Brion May March 19 $20 Lunch Government relations April 16 30 Dinner Aug. 28 20 Lunch Dec. 19 15 Christmas plant Frank Michelena Jan. 8 $20 Lunch Government relations Jan. 14 5.25 Lunch shared March 18 20 Lunch March 27 20 Lunch April 7 15 Food basket June 3 20 Lunch June 19 20 Lunch June 23 15 Judds ticket Sept. 11 20 Lunch Oct. 2 20 Lunch Dec. 5 20 Lunch Dec. 31 15 Food basket Lyle Overby Jan. 4 $20 Lunch Government relations Feb. 5 20 Lunch March 4 20 Lunch May 15 20 Lunch June 3 20 Lunch Aug. 16 20 Lunch Sept. 13 20 Lunch Oct. 17 20 Lunch Raul Rangel April 30 $30 Dinner C R & R Inc. Aug. 12 20 Lunch Solid waste recycling Dec. 17 20 Lunch Orange County Feb. 26 $20 Lunch Chamber of July 26 20 Lunch Commerce Aug. 9 10 Breakfast Business association Oct. 29 10 Breakfast Disneyland July 20 $55 Tickets Amusement park

Source: Roth’s Statement of Economic Interests filed April 1, 1992, with the registrar of voters