Vasquez’s Special Treatment at Nixon Funeral Frustrates Board : Protocol: He was the only supervisor to be given a purple pin that allowed entrance to the exclusive reception hosted by the family.

Several Orange County supervisors expressed frustration Monday over how their colleague, Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, was the only one among the board members to be given VIP treatment at last week’s funeral for former President Richard Nixon.

All five supervisors attended the funeral, but only Vasquez got a coveted purple pin that allowed admission to an exclusive reception afterward that was hosted by Nixon’s family.

Supervisors Harriett M. Wieder and William G. Steiner said they had to use their wits to get past a phalanx of security personnel to gain admittance to the reception.

An angry Supervisor Roger R. Stanton was shut out altogether, forced to wait at the reception door for a half an hour until his colleagues emerged so he could get a ride home.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas F. Riley, who went home right after the funeral service, said he was aware of his colleagues’ concerns but did not want to comment.

The controversy appeared to center on the different-colored pins that were issued to the 4,000 guests who attended Wednesday’s funeral at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace.

The best seats at the funeral and entrance to the private reception that followed went to those guests wearing purple pins.

Riley, Wieder, Steiner and Stanton were given yellow pins, which only allowed them into the funeral.

Vasquez and his guests were issued purple pins.

“It was truly embarrassing to know that the four of us were not playing the same role as Gaddi was,” Wieder said.

Vasquez could not be reached for comment Monday, but his colleagues said their disappointment stems from the fact that Vasquez was initially scheduled to attend the funeral with them in a limousine provided by the county Office of Protocol. However, early last week he let other board members know that he would be making his own arrangements, his colleagues said.

Vasquez told his colleagues after the funeral that he was not aware they were issued different pins and thus denied entrance to the reception, the supervisors said.

Vasquez, whose 3rd Supervisorial District includes the Nixon library, was a strong supporter of the facility’s development. Pictures of the late President adorn his county office, as does a note from Nixon complimenting him on a speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention.

Gayle Anderson, the county protocol chief who spent days helping with preparations for the funeral and organized the supervisors’ attendance, said the guest lists were “controlled by the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace and the family.” Library officials could not be reached for comment.

“I would have stood out on Yorba Linda Boulevard to be part of such a historic event,” Steiner said. “But being part of the reception was a little more difficult than anticipated. I wish Gaddi had given his colleagues the same consideration as he gave the others with him.”

Stanton could not be reached for comment Monday, but one official recalled that he had “never seen Roger so upset” as when he was denied entrance to the reception.

As a statement of their frustration, some board members, who have started referring to themselves as members of the “Excluded Club,” said they have discussed wearing their yellow pins at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

Times staff writers Mark Platte and Eric Lichtblau contributed to this report.