Gaming Trade Bets on Hoge in Assembly Horse Race : Politics: Republican who represents Sunland-Tujunga received $140,000 from the industry.

SACRAMENTO — He’s not an entrenched member of the power elite, not a chairman of an influential legislative committee, and not a veteran politician with years enough behind him to buy a lot of clout in the Capitol.

He’s a freshman lawmaker, in fact, a newcomer who first set foot inside the Assembly chambers barely two years ago.

But some powerful special interests--most notably the gaming and horse-racing industries--have showered Assemblyman Bill Hoge (R-Pasadena) with campaign funds as if he were more than just another first-termer seeking reelection on Nov. 8.

In a race that not only is a prime partisan showdown but has grabbed attention with allegations that Hoge is a special friend of the gambling industry, the dollar signs are quickly stacking up. Far fewer of them are ending up with former Pasadena Police Chief Bruce Philpott, Hoge’s Democratic opponent in the 44th Assembly District that stretches from Sunland-Tujunga to the San Gabriel Valley.

Records at the secretary of state’s office show that, since Jan. 1, 1992, Hoge has received $140,000 in contributions from horse owners, racing associations, card clubs and a major Nevada casino. That’s more than any of the other 26 freshmen lawmakers who, in 1992, flooded the Capitol with new faces and new resolve to dodge special-interest politics amid the reality of term limits.

What exactly made Hoge a darling of the racing industry is not clear, and Hoge himself isn’t saying. One racing executive, Cliff Goodrich of the Los Angeles Turf Club, said he is aware that Hoge has been “practically a lifelong fan” of horse racing. There are no tracks or card clubs in Hoge’s district.

The contribution tallies, combined with Hoge’s record of authoring and voting for gambling-industry bills, has turned heads in some Sacramento circles.

Calling him “one of the worst offenders” among perpetual fund-raisers, Ruth Holton, head of the watchdog group Common Cause, said: “Whenever an elected official takes a lot of money from any one interest or industry and then votes for the industry or authors its bills, voters have a right to be concerned.”

State Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), who seeks tighter regulation of California’s rapidly expanding gambling industry, said Hoge broke with protocol by moving so quickly to align himself with horse-racing interests. “This is a case of the speed-up of the special-interest process,” Hayden said.

Hoge ranked No. 1 in Common Cause’s study of freshman “off-year” fund-raising, garnering $262,128 in 1993, a year with no election to pay for. So far this year, Hoge reports collecting donations totaling $374,872, with a little more than $180,645 on hand as of Sept. 30.

Philpott, by comparison, has raised about $100,000 in total contributions, and as of Sept. 30. was $6,000 in the red. His big expenditures are cable-TV ads that highlight the large sums his opponent has accepted from gaming backers. Without a big war chest to spread his message, Philpott was hoping to focus public attention on Hoge’s gambling contributions and the fact that they pour in from outside the district.

Hoge, 48, an insurance executive who bills himself as tough on crime and a conservative tax fighter, did not respond to requests for an interview. Brent ten Pas, his campaign spokesman, would say only that the assemblyman was too busy meeting with constituents.

To counter Philpott’s charges, Ten Pas said: “Philpott is taking money from (Assembly Speaker) Willie Brown and the state party, who also take gambling contributions. Mr. Hoge has over 1,000 people in his district who have contributed to his campaign. He has received five times the amount of in-district contributions as his opponent.”

Philpott concedes he is getting Democratic Party help in paying campaign bills. He said he does not knowingly accept any contributions from the gambling industry.

Pledging to seek campaign-finance reform if elected, Philpott charged that Hoge has been corrupted by special-interest contributions. “He has learned a system that is very corrosive. He’s learned the value of it, the culture of it,” he said.

Philpott, 50, retired from the Pasadena Police Department in 1991, after 28 years of service. He and Hoge both have collected fistfuls of law-enforcement endorsements, but Philpott is dogged by an episode that Hoge’s campaign brings up repeatedly.

In 1990, Philpott had a run-in with Glendale police during which officers pulled him over for speeding and playing loud music. Because Philpott’s date was an African American woman, he suggested the stop was racially motivated. But Hoge’s people say Philpott concocted the racial implications.

Hoge was first recruited as a candidate by like-minded conservative Republican Pat Nolan, the former Glendale assemblyman who now is among a handful of former lawmakers serving federal prison time for crossing the barrier that is supposed to separate campaign contributions from legislative action.

Nolan gave tens of thousands to Hoge’s first campaign and urged other lawmakers to do so as well. And this year, Assembly Republican leader Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga) has pumped $70,000 into Hoge’s race, identifying it as a key contest for the Republicans.

Hoge also gets help from the Allied Business PAC, the powerhouse Christian Right political action committee led by Republican state Sen. Rob Hurtt of Orange County. Hurtt has directed at least $54,000 to Hoge’s camp since 1992, records show.

In the Legislature, Hoge sits on the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, which considers all gambling bills in the Assembly. He has authored six bills to benefit horse racing or card clubs and has cast a number of votes in favor of those interests. For example, Hoge cast the deciding vote in committee in favor of a bill allowing slot machines at racetracks. That legislation, however, was stopped in the next committee.

Ed Friendly, a former Los Angeles television producer who now breeds and raises a stable of 50 racehorses, sees Hoge’s support as vital to a multibillion-dollar California industry whose trickle-down impact produces billions more for other businesses in the state.

“What attracted me to Bill is that there are very, very few people in the Legislature who understand our business,” Friendly said in an interview. “Not only is he protective of horse racing, but of the whole back-up agricultural industry.”

Friendly, who sought and received Hoge’s vote on a bill benefiting a thoroughbred-owners group that he heads, had given $7,000 to the assemblyman’s campaign as of Sept. 30. Three other officers of the group sent Hoge’s campaign committee another $5,000. The bill was signed into law and it goes into effect Jan. 1.

The biggest racing contribution given to Hoge over the past three years is $31,500 from the Los Angeles Turf Club Inc., operator of races at Santa Anita, located just outside Hoge’s district.

Hoge authored a bill for the Turf Club to open up new avenues for betting at tracks. Critics sounded an alarm that it would have allowed betting on simulated, “virtual-reality” racing, an accusation the Turf Club denied. The bill died in committee.

“We thought it would help us to have somebody up there in Sacramento who knew horse racing,” said Goodrich, the Turf Club’s president and chief operating officer. “Bill is also pro-business, not only pro-racetrack business. He knows the importance of jobs. Obviously, he has a feel for our industry. He has helped us, and that’s why we are supporting him.”

Sue Ross, the legislative coordinator for the California Horse Racing Board, a state regulatory agency, said Hoge pays attention to horse racing like no other freshman legislator has.

“He has spent a lot of time trying to learn the ins and outs of horse-racing law,” Ross said. “A couple of times I’ve gone over to his office and we’ve spent a couple of hours each time going over the law.”

Track wagers add up to $3 billion a year in California, and state officials figure that horse racing indirectly pumps another $3 billion into the economy. The state’s cut of every betting dollar--4 or 5 cents--amounts to more than $100 million a year for the General Fund.

Perhaps the most controversial Hoge bill was the one that would have expanded opportunities for card rooms under certain circumstances without voter approval.

It was vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson, who reiterated the importance of giving voters say-so over the location of card rooms.

The bill was sponsored by the California Commerce Club card room, which contributed $2,500 to Hoge in 1993 and 1994. Hoge also received $2,000 from the Bell Gardens Bicycle Club, another card room, in 1993 and 1994.

In the same period, Hoge also received $12,000 from Caesar’s World, whose top executive, Terrence J. Lanni, a racehorse owner, contributed another $3,500.

Contributions and Legislation

Assemblyman Bill Hoge (R-Pasadena) has turned heads in the Legislature because of gambling industry contributions his campaign committee has accepted. Since Jan. 1, 1992, he has received from horse racing, card-room or casino interests $140,000 of his nearly $1 million in total contributions. The following is a partial list of big contributions and the gambling legislation he has authored.

Contributions

Los Angeles Turf Club Inc. (at Santa Anita): $31,500

Hollywood Park Operating Co. (Hollywood Park): $18,500

Oak Tree Racing Assn. (Pasadena based): $18,500

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (Del Mar): $9,400

Quarter Horse Racing (Los Alamitos): $9,000

Pacific Racing Assn. (Berkeley based): $5,500

Calif. Horsemen’s & Benevolent Protective Assn.: $6,500

Bay Meadows Operating Co. (San Mateo): $1,500

Jockey Club (San Mateo): $2,500

California Commerce Club (Los Angeles card room): $2,500

Bell Gardens Bicycle Club (Bell Gardens card room): $2,000

Thoroughbred Owners of California officers Ed Friendly, founder: $7,000

Other directors: $5,000

Legislation

AB 274 (Hoge): Parimutuel wagering. Sponsored by the Los Angeles Turf Club. This bill would have expanded the number of bets that could be placed on a race. For example, bettors could wager on one horse beating another in the field, regardless of whether the horse places or wins. The bill was defeated after critics warned that one of the outcomes of the bill would be to allow for betting on simulated “virtual reality”-style races. The bill also dealt with satellite wagering.

AB 2137 (Hoge): Gaming clubs. Sponsored by the California Commerce Club. Hoge’s early version of this bill would have allowed card rooms, racing groups and satellite wagering facilities to enforce collection of gambling debts incurred on credit. In the face of opposition by Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, that portion of the bill was eliminated. Gov. Pete Wilson later vetoed the bill, warning that it would have allowed card rooms to locate in some communities without voter approval under certain circumstances.

AB 2935 (Hoge): Unclaimed tickets. Sponsored by the California Horse Racing Board. This bill, which was signed into law, designated May 15 as the annual deadline by which unclaimed ticket holders could cash in their tickets.

AB 2936 (Hoge): Equine medication. Sponsored by the California Horse Racing Board. This bill, signed into law, defined prohibited drug substances for racehorses.

AB 2514 (Hoge): Gaming. Sponsor unclear. This bill required voter approval for existing card rooms and had similarities to AB 2137. It died in committee.

AB 2577 (Hoge): Parimutuel Wagering. This bill contained provisions similar to AB 274 in that it would have expanded opportunities for wagering. It died in committee.

Source: Legi-Tech legislation tracking service