Report Discloses 2 McKeon Business Trips in ’93 : Santa Clarita: The lawmaker says he obtained a waiver from the Ethics Committee for the expense-paid weekends.

Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), who maintains that he has spent little time on his family business since his election to Congress in 1992, took two business-related trips last year, annual financial disclosure reports released Friday show.

McKeon said the expense-paid weekend trips to Laguna Nigel and Dallas, sponsored by boot companies, had more to do with personal friendship than business and he obtained a waiver from the House Ethics Committee to accept them. Members are usually prohibited from taking gifts exceeding $250 in value.

McKeon, who owns a chain of Western clothing stores with his brothers, received $148,089 in salary from Howard & Phil’s Western Wear in 1993, his report said. But, as required by House rules, he stepped down as a corporate officer and director.

He said the amount of time he has spent on the business since his election in 1992 has been “negligible.” Democrat James Gilmartin, a Santa Clarita attorney who is running against McKeon for the second time, has raised questions about McKeon’s continued involvement with his company.

The 1993 financial reports also disclosed that Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale) spoke or appeared before various groups whose interests they oversee as influential members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Faced with growing public criticism, the House changed its rules several years ago to require lawmakers to give honorariums to charities.

“I find it useful to go out to these groups and explain to them how I see the issues in Washington, and I learn from them as well,” said Waxman, who made 12 appearances for a total of $21,900 in 1993 to organizations ranging from the American Chiropractic Assn. to the Assn. of National Advertisers.

“And I enjoy the fact that, in speaking to them, I’m able to donate money to charity.”

Moorhead, the ranking Republican on Energy and Commerce, made five appearances for a total of $5,500 to groups such as the Snack Food Assn. and the National Cable Television Assn. Like Waxman, he said the sponsors of his speeches do not gain any special access to him.

“These groups have a right to hear members of Congress talk to them on issues they’re concerned with,” Moorhead said. “I wish I could do more of them.”

Waxman also traveled to Israel and Hawaii with his wife for conferences. The one-week trip to Hawaii for a session on U.S.-Vietnamese relations was sponsored by the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank; the five-day Israel trip for a conference of worldwide Jewish parliamentarians was funded by United Jewish Appeal.

Less active on the trip and speech fronts was Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City), who attended a single two-day session held by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Queenstown, Md., and gave a single speech to MCA, Inc.

Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) took no trips, accepted no gifts and made no appearances, his report shows.

McKeon’s trips were overnight stays with family members paid for by boot companies whose lines of products are carried by Howard & Phil’s. McKeon said he was uncertain of the value of the transportation, lodging, food and other costs but he put it above $250 on his report.

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McKeon and his wife and his brothers and their wives were hosted by the Acme Boot Co. at a luxury hotel in Laguna Nigel, where they played golf. He said this has become an annual event. And McKeon and his brother flew to Dallas for an evening and attended a Dallas Cowboys football game the next day as the guests of the Justin Boot Co.

“It’s more a friendship deal than anything else,” McKeon said. “There’s lots of companies we can buy boots from. It’s developing a relationship.”

To obtain the ethics waiver, McKeon said he had to “stipulate that (the companies) don’t do any lobbying and had nothing to do with my congressional job.”

Gilmartin, McKeon’s election opponent, has previously seized upon the fact that McKeon and his wife were attending a Western wear convention in Colorado, where they own a condominium, during the holiday weekend when the Northridge earthquake occurred. McKeon said they were in Colorado at their own expense and returned immediately upon learning of the temblor.

Gilmartin was out of town Friday and could not be reached.

McKeon also participated in a panel discussion at a meeting of the National Assn. of Home Builders in Las Vegas. He told the group to give his $2,000 honorarium to the Boy Scouts of America. McKeon received a $1,000 campaign contribution from the group’s PAC since his election, records show.

McKeon said he agreed to serve on the panel with two Democratic lawmakers during the Home Builders event at the request of Jack Shine, a friend and political supporter who is active with the association. Shine contributed $1,000 to McKeon’s initial primary campaign in 1992.

“I did it as a favor to him,” said McKeon, who added that he regarded Shine as “a longtime friend.” And, the lawmaker said, “They wanted a Republican to come.”