D.A. Accuses Top Official of Calling Him a Liar : Government: A feud between Michael Bradbury and chief administrative officer surfaces over the budget.

A long simmering feud between two of the county’s most powerful officials has surfaced in a letter from Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury accusing Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg of calling him a liar.

In the letter sent to county Supervisors Maria VanderKolk and Vicky Howard, Bradbury said he learned after the county’s budget hearing last week that Wittenberg accused him of being untruthful about the effects a 5% cut would have on his office.

Bradbury informed the supervisors that the cut--on top of a 4.5% reduction the office sustained last year--would force the loss of 16 positions, a claim disputed by some officials. The supervisors opted to slice 5% from Bradbury’s budget, with no debate.

Wittenberg, described by county government sources as reluctant to openly discuss any personal differences with Bradbury, did not return phone calls Tuesday for comment on the feud.

“I understand that . . . Mr. Wittenberg informed board members that my remarks were untrue,” Bradbury wrote in the letter obtained by The Times. “If this, in fact, occurred, it clearly damages my credibility.

“I must say that I have, for many years, heard rumors that a strained relationship between my office and the CAO has caused misperception, and at times, distrust between board members and myself,” Bradbury continued. “Unfortunately, as a result, the efforts of my office have at times been undermined.

“It is clear to me that the time has come to sit down and resolve these issues and hopefully clear the air,” he said.

He said his staff is prepared to back up the comments he made to the board and requested that Wittenberg do the same.

“My staff and I are prepared to substantiate each and every comment I made during my presentation,” Bradbury wrote. “If Mr. Wittenberg questions my remarks, he should be prepared to justify his views.”

Bradbury asked to meet with the two supervisors--who head the board’s budget committee--and Wittenberg as soon as possible to discuss the matter.

When contacted for an interview, Bradbury declined to comment on the issue.

“I think it is a private matter,” Bradbury said. “It is nothing that I think is appropriate to discuss.”

Howard also could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and VanderKolk also refused to discuss the issue.

“It’s not something I want to get involved in,” VanderKolk said.

Several county sources, however, said money typically has been at the root of the disagreements between Wittenberg and Bradbury.

Over the years, Bradbury steadfastly has requested that his office be spared from budget cuts.

Supervisor Maggie Kildee said that at times Bradbury was “only looking out for his own department.”

“Several years ago he came in with big charts saying why he needed his money,” Kildee said. “We all sort of groaned and said, ‘Thanks.’ ”

But Wittenberg, described by Kildee as having “a heavy hand” with department heads on budget matters, was limited in his ability to control Bradbury, regarded by many as the county’s most powerful department head.

As a result, animosity grew between the two men, sources said. But word about the tensions was kept quiet by county officials and discussions about the troubles were never held openly.

Public Defender Kenneth I. Clayman said he had never heard about the feud, but said such tensions are just a natural part of the process.

“You have the most powerful political, elected figure who believes the county’s interest is for a very strict law enforcement,” said Clayman. “And then you have the CAO who wants to keep the county solvent. They are going to butt heads.”