D.A. Will Not Charge Aides to Bradley in Ethics Inquiry : Probe: Report finds insufficient evidence of criminal misconduct. ‘Appearance of impropriety’ is cited.

Outgoing Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner cleared his desk Friday of a 2-year-old conflict-of-interest investigation, saying that there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges against aides and appointees of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds, often from those doing business with the city.

Although the report absolved members of the Bradley Administration of criminal misconduct, it criticized them for an “apparent indifference to the appearance of impropriety.”

A Bradley representative hailed the report, saying that the mayor was “pleased that this long investigation is finally over.”

The investigation was opened after a series of Times articles, based in part on thousands of internal Bradley campaign documents. The Times reported in November, 1990, that Bradley’s staff had for years operated a political fund-raising network inside City Hall using city telephones, postal meters and memos typed by city secretaries on city equipment. The Times also reported that several of Bradley’s appointed commissioners solicited funds from individuals and businesses that had matters pending before their agencies.

But the district attorney’s office, after reviewing an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, said in each case that there was either insufficient evidence or that the statute of limitations had expired before the probe began.

Vallee Bunting, Bradley’s press secretary, said the district attorney’s investigation proved that The Times’ stories were “inaccurate,” but she declined to provide specifics.

Many of the 13 officials involved in the investigation could not be reached for comment late Friday.

But Dan Garcia, who served as president of the Planning Commission before becoming a lobbyist, expressed relief that the matter appears to have been put to rest. “I thought the whole issue, at least as it relates to me, was a bunch of bunk in the first place,” Garcia said. “I’m relieved that it’s finally over.”

The Reiner report echoed criticisms of the Bradley Administration made three years ago by City Atty. James K. Hahn, who said Bradley had become indifferent to ethical concerns. Hahn’s report was made at the conclusion of an investigation of the five-term mayor’s failure to disclose personal stock holdings. Bradley is not seeking a sixth term.

Reiner was defeated in the November elections and released his report on his last regular working day in office.

In one of his final acts, Reiner also cleared the Los Angeles Police Commission of violating California open meeting laws in 1991 when it met secretly while trying to force former Police Chief Daryl F. Gates to take a leave of absence.

Reiner closed the books on that case, saying:”We are not persuaded that a knowing violation of the Brown Act (open meeting law) occurred. . . .”

When the Police Commission relieved Gates of duty after the Rodney G. King beating, Capt. Doug Watson, the LAPD official in charge of the Bradley investigation, announced his retirement, saying he was “sick to my stomach (and) disgusted” by what had happened to Gates. The Bradley investigation was turned over to other officers but Watson said Friday that he believed little more was done with it.

“I just think that what went on was technically against the law in many instances and morally wrong and it is common political practice in the city of Los Angeles and probably a lot of other places,” Watson said.

Watson said the LAPD did not have the resources to review the documents used by The Times.

Gail Ehrlich, the deputy district attorney who wrote the final report on the investigation, said: “I stand by our report.”