Officials React Cautiously to News of FBI Probe

In a carefully worded statement drafted by city lawyers, Compton leaders on Friday distanced themselves from a federal investigation into allegations that at least two former city officials accepted bribes.

The statement, read at a news conference by Mayor Omar Bradley, emphasized that the two officials named in press reports this week--Rep. Walter R. Tucker III and former City Councilwoman Patricia Moore--both have left city government.

“According to newspaper accounts, the main targets of the investigation are two people who no longer hold political office in the city of Compton,” the statement said. Officials underlined the words “no longer.”

At the news conference, Bradley was flanked by top city officials, including City Atty. LeGrand Clegg, City Manager Howard Caldwell and council members Marcine Shaw and Ronald Green. Bradley uncharacteristically cut the session short, declining to answer reporters’ questions and leaving the room as soon as he concluded the two-minute statement.

In the statement, officials emphasized that they had not learned of the undercover investigation until news reports disclosed it. Sources familiar with the investigation have told The Times that the inquiry was launched more than two years ago.

The investigation, sources have said, was in part a sting operation in which an undercover FBI agent posed as a businessman offering bribes to various city officials.

“At this time, neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney’s office has contacted any city officials regarding the alleged investigation,” Bradley said at Friday’s news conference. “Nor have these agencies subpoenaed any official documents or charged any elected official or department head with a crime relating to his or her association with the city.”

Details of the investigations were reported this week by the Wall Street Journal and The Times. Spokesmen for the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office have declined all comment, as have officials with the Internal Revenue Service.

“Since the city of Compton has not been formally notified of an ongoing investigation, any official response to the published allegations would be premature,” the Compton statement said. “Nevertheless, it must be stressed that the elected officials and management have the utmost faith in the integrity of the city staff.”

The statement did not name Tucker or Moore, who have denied wrongdoing. They were unavailable for comment Friday.