Bernson’s Spending in ‘92-’93 Follows Pattern : Politics: Councilman’s recent use of funds was similar to 1991, which was criticized by the Ethics Commission.

In the past two years, Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson spent political contributions on expensive meals, gifts and tickets to sporting events and concerts--a pattern of expenditures similar to those for which he was harshly criticized earlier this month by an Ethics Commission audit of his spending in 1991.

A review by The Times of spending records for 1992 and 1993 shows that the San Fernando Valley lawmaker spent more than $110,000 in privately solicited funds from an “officeholder” account that state law requires be used exclusively for governmental, legislative and political purposes.

But the documents Bernson signed and filed listing his expenditures provide no explanation of how many of the purchases are related to government work, with some described only as “gifts” or “season tickets.”

The records do not indicate a violation of the state’s campaign disclosure laws but show a pattern similar to the 1991 expenditures questioned by the Ethics Commission in a sharply critical audit released earlier this month.

Bernson strongly defended his reporting practices, saying all expenditures from his officeholder account are used to improve ties with constituents and to reward volunteers and staff--uses he said are justified. He said his record-keeping of his spending meets state requirements.

“I feel very comfortable by the way I use” the account, he said in an interview Friday. “It’s very appropriate, in fact, a lot more appropriate than some other elected officials who shall remain nameless.”

Bernson said he insists on paying for the dinners, gifts and tickets for supporters, constituents and lobbyists to eliminate any appearance that he is obligated to them.

“I have never allowed lobbyists and other people who talk to me about things to buy my meals or my lunches or my breakfast or anything like that,” he said. “I always pay my own way.”

Ethics Commission officials have cited spending reports such as those filed by Bernson for 1991 as an example of why the city needs to adopt tougher disclosure laws to force officials to provide more details to justify their expenses.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Benjamin Bycel said current disclosure laws are so vague that elected officials can justify a wide range of expenses without showing how an expenditure is related to legitimate governmental or political purposes.

“The rules and regulations need to be spelled out so we can’t have situations where an officeholder can (spend and) simply put down ‘political purposes’ or ‘governmental purposes,’ ” Bycel said.

For this reason, Bycel has proposed changes in the city’s campaign disclosure laws to require more detail to justify each expenditure. A hearing is expected in the next few months before the council’s Rules and Elections Committee.

The Ethics Commission routinely reviews spending reports such as Bernson’s, but has not yet done so for 1992 and 1993.

Officeholder accounts were created as part of a landmark ethics package adopted in 1990 after a conflict-of-interest scandal surrounding then-Mayor Tom Bradley. The account was considered a compromise, balancing a new provision prohibiting council members from year-round campaign fund raising.

In an audit of six accounts controlled by Bernson in 1991, including the officeholder account, the commission earlier this month criticized 69 expenditures totaling $30,905 that auditors said lacked documentation demonstrating that they were related to government purposes. Those expenditures included dozens of expensive meals, gifts, and sports and entertainment tickets.

“Due to lack of supporting documentation . . . auditors questioned whether the expenditures were made for a legislative or governmental purpose,” the audit said.

Such audits do not recommend disciplinary actions. But the findings were passed on to the Ethics Commission’s enforcement arm, the city attorney and the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Since 1991, Bernson has closed all but one account--his officeholder account. From that account he has purchased expensive meals, season tickets to Dodgers baseball games and the Hollywood Bowl, and gifts from department stores, specialty shops and liquor stores.

Bernson declined to discuss specific expenditures, but said the baseball and concert tickets are usually given to volunteers and staff members as rewards for helping on particular projects. He said he buys many gifts because he is often invited to parties and celebrations.

“You get invited to every bar mitzvah, every wedding. . . . What are you supposed to do? Pay for it personally?” he said. “When we send a gift for something like that, it is something strictly related to my office.”

Most notable among Bernson’s payments over the past two years was $12,834 he spent on 55 dinners and lunches he described simply as meals “with constituents.” Only five of the 55 meals where purchased in restaurants within his district. On average, the meals cost $233 each.

Bernson spent another $3,428 on what he described in his spending records simply as “gifts,” “sundry gifts,” or “reimbursement for gifts.” The single biggest expenditure for such gifts was for $1,478 he spent at Northridge Hills Liquor for what was described as “Christmas gifts.”

Bernson was not the biggest spender of officeholder account money in the past two years, according to a Times review of records. The top spender was Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, whose officeholder account spending topped out at nearly $159,000 over the two-year period.

And Bernson is not the only elected city official to use officeholder money for expensive meals, tickets to sporting events and travel.

Councilmen Yaroslavsky and Mike Hernandez each spent $357 on Super Bowl tickets in 1992 and Councilman John Ferraro spent $1,128 on World Cup Soccer tickets last year. Several elected officials spent between $100 and $300 on individual restaurant meals.

Regardless of the Ethics Commission’s criticism, Bernson’s spending records provide an unique glimpse into the lawmaker’s dining, travel and spending habits.

Over the past two years, Bernson collected $66,921 in contributions and spent $110,303, according to his records. At the end of his two years, he had a balance of $27,319 in his officeholder account.

He spent $7,288 on travel, meals and accommodations for trips to Italy, France and Washington to attend planning seminars and political gatherings. Another $5,800 was spent on donations to nonprofit organizations, hospital funds and temples.

Bernson also spent $9,646 on season tickets to Dodgers games and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

But the single largest category of spending was for meals “with constituents.”

According to his spending records, Bernson favored such pricey restaurants as Moonlight Tango in Sherman Oaks, Peppone’s in Brentwood, Spago’s in West Hollywood and Vitello’s Italian Restaurant in North Hollywood.

His largest restaurant expenditure was the $737 he spent at the Hollywood Bowl in the second half of 1992. The spending report describes it as “dinner with constituent,” but does not elaborate.

Although the records say all meals were with constituents, Bernson said some of the meals were with lobbyists and supporters to discuss city business. Some of the payments were for the meals of large groups, he said.

He added that he is not stingy when he offers to pay for meals.

“When somebody invites you out to dinner, in most cases, when you are going to be using your funds, they are not going to invite you to Coco’s or to Carl’s Jr.,” he said. “They are going to say, ‘Why don’t you meet me at Peppone’s or The Bistro.’ ”

Spending by Elected City Officials

How city officials spend from their “officerholder accounts,” which are funded by privately solicited funds and is to be spent for governmental, legislative and political purposes associated with city work:

Bernson’s Officeholder Account Spending 1992-1993

Some of the largest categories of spending were: Meals: $12,834 Sports and concert tickets: $9,646 Travel: $7,288 Donations: $5,800 Gifts: $3,428 Travel cost for spouse: $918

Other Officeholder Account Spending 1992 1993 Councilman Richard Alarcon no account $18,914 Councilman Richard Alatorre $26,684 $23,961 Councilman Hal Bernson $71,476 $38,837 Councilman Marvin Braude $2,524 $764 Councilwoman Laura Chick no account $2,364 Councilman John Ferraro $49,773 $35,555 Councilwoman Ruth Galanter $24,850 $12,114 Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg no account $9,733 Councilman Mike Hernandez $39,303 $7,071 Councilman Nate Holden $40,853 $8,682 Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas $30,832 $36,218 Councilman Rudy Svorinich, Jr. no account $13,631 Councilman Joel Wachs $28,048 $35,123 Councilwoman Rita Walters $7,135 $2,499 Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky $91,572 $67,080 Mayor Richard Riordan no account $2,710. City Attorney James Hahn $19,637 $22,557 City Controller Rick Tuttle $5,903 $21,822