COSTA MESA : Resident Claims Vote by Buffa Was Illegal

A resident has filed a complaint with the Orange County district attorney’s office claiming that Councilman Peter F. Buffa, a congressional hopeful, violated city conflict-of-interest laws.

Gary Monahan, manager of Henry N Harry’s Goat Hill Tavern, alleges that Buffa acted illegally when he accepted $3,000 from local developers just weeks after voting on a decision involving the contributor’s property.

Monahan claims that developers George and Judie Argyros and Sakioka Farms, a development firm, each gave Buffa $1,000 for his congressional bid in March just two weeks after the council approved sweeping changes to the city’s General Plan, a blueprint for development that included property owned by the Argyroses and Sakioka Farms.

That vote, Monahan claims, is in direct conflict with city election laws forbidding candidates’ taking money after voting on issues involving contributors.

“As a citizen watching the elections, I see a man (Buffa) who is in favor of campaign contribution limits and is worried about conflict-of-interest charges for everyone else, but not himself,” Monahan said. “He says he is anti-development, and there he is taking all this money.”

Buffa, who is challenging Rep. Dana Rohrabacher for the newly created 45th District seat, counters that the charges are nothing more than political mudslinging. He said that after thorough research, City Atty. Thomas Kathe assured him that he was not in violation because the city law did not apply to a candidate for Congress.

“It is totally inaccurate,” Buffa said. “We are absolutely in the letter of federal election law.”

However, Monahan says city election law does apply whether the candidate is running for local or federal office.

“In the city municipal code, it states clearly ‘any campaign,’ ” Monahan said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Guy N. Ormes said the district attorney’s office has received the complaint but has yet to determine whether to open an investigation.

“We have not made an initial determination,” Ormes said.