Steiner Not Ruling Out Resignation

A day after the Orange County Grand Jury accused him of misconduct in his role in the county bankruptcy, Supervisor William G. Steiner said Thursday that he plans to fight the charges but is not ruling out the possibility of resigning to avoid prosecution.

Sitting in his fifth-floor office at the Hall of Administration, Steiner said he was going through “an internal struggle” over how to address the most serious challenge to his political career and personal life.

“I’ve always been taught to pick and choose my battles,” a contemplative Steiner said. “This would be a big struggle for me in terms of seeing it through.”

Steiner and two other elected officials--Board Chairman Roger R. Stanton and Auditor-Controller Steve E. Lewis--were charged earlier this week with misconduct in office for “willfully failing” to oversee the operations of former Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron, whose risky investments plunged $1.64 million in value and forced the county into bankruptcy Dec. 6, 1994.

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If the accusations against them are found to be true by a jury, the three would face removal from office.

Former county Budget Director Ronald S. Rubino was indicted by the same grand jury on criminal charges that he aided and abetted Citron’s misappropriation of more than $60 million in public funds. If convicted he could be sentenced to nine years in prison.

While all four men have declared their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges, Steiner was the first to publicly discuss resignation as a possible option.

Steiner said he will “weigh” many different factors over the next few weeks to determine whether he continues to fight or step down from office.

On the one hand, Steiner said he feels he owes a responsibility to the voters who elected him to fulfill his term in office, and to provide leadership during the county’s financial recovery. On the other, he said he doesn’t want to become an ineffective lawmaker and endure the stress of the litigation.

Steiner said he is reluctant to subject himself, his family and county taxpayers to a protracted and costly court battle.

“In terms of the price I would have to pay personally and for my family is also what I have to consider,” Steiner said.

Steiner said he has friends and supporters telling him different things. “Some say I should fight, and some say, ‘Bill, why would you want to go through all this grief? Leave.’ ”

Furthermore, Steiner said he recently has received two attractive and lucrative job offers, one in Washington, D.C., and another locally. He declined to elaborate.

If Steiner or either of the two other officials facing civil accusations resign from office, the grand jury charges against them would almost certainly be dropped, because the only punishment for “willful misconduct” is removal from office.

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Steiner, the former director of the Orangewood home for abused and neglected children, said he believes a jury would vindicate him and clear his name.

“But I know nobody ever comes through a trial intact,” he said. “There’s always a great price to be paid for even those who win.”

Steiner said that he was extremely upset with the grand jury’s and the district attorney’s actions.

“I worked hard for the benefit of this county and now I have this dark cloud over me,” Steiner said. “I’m very angry.”

He was not alone.

Wylie A. Aitken, who represents Stanton, said he was upset with the district attorney’s “lack of professionalism” and “clumsy attempt” to serve his client with the grand jury’s accusation Wednesday.

Aitken said he notified the district attorney days ago that he would make himself and his client available to accept an accusation if one was issued by the grand jury. Instead of accepting his offer, Aitken contends in a letter made public Thursday, Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi’s investigators made a “dramatic march” to the Hall of Administration with the media in tow in a deliberate attempt to make the supervisor look bad.