Pringle Aide Didn’t File for Vacation Time : Politics: He was working on state clock when he allegedly pressured a candidate not to run. He later put in for half a day off.

An aide to GOP leader Curt Pringle failed to put in for time off as required when he spent an afternoon on political matters and was accused of trying to push a first-time Republican candidate to stay out of an Orange County legislative race.

Pringle said Monday the mistake was corrected last week after his office was contacted about the accusations leveled by political newcomer Jacob “Jim” Rems of Irvine against two of the lawmaker’s staff members.

“Our office is very diligent to ensure that no one does anything of a political nature on state time,” Pringle said. “When we double-checked that [payroll] report, we discovered that it was in error. So we immediately corrected it.”

Rems has accused legislative aide Mark Denny and Pringle’s Chief of Staff Jeff Flint of pressuring him not to challenge Republican Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer of Newport Beach when he tried to pick up nomination papers Nov. 29. Brewer’s 70th District seat is up for grabs in the March primary.

The two Pringle staffers have denied they tried to pressure Rems, and Flint has said he had worked a full day when he talked to the prospective candidate by cellular phone. Payroll records for Denny, however, show he initially failed to report he was taking vacation time off when he spent the afternoon at the offices of the Orange County registrar of voters, where he encountered Rems.

Pringle said Denny was asked to double-check the payroll records last Wednesday, after his office was contacted by a Times reporter about the encounter with Rems.

When Denny discovered he had forgotten to put in for the time off, which is required of state employees when they participate in political work, the aide sent in a correction that evening by fax to Assembly officials who handle payroll. Denny took half a day off to cover the time he spent at the registrar of voters.

Pringle said Denny, who could not be reached for comment, had been “directed in advance to take vacation time if he was out that afternoon for any political purpose.”

Rems contends he was “badgered” at the registrar of voters office by a man--later identified as Denny--who subsequently demanded that he talk to Flint on a cellular telephone he was carrying.

Rems said the man bumped him several times while he was at the counter. He “shoved the cellular phone in my face,” Rems said. On the line was Flint, who demanded he not run for the office, telling him, “We will do everything in our power to make sure Marilyn Brewer wins that race,” Rems said.

Flint has said he had worked a full day by the time the call came in about 5 p.m. and was on his own time when he talked to Rems. He said no threats were voiced or implied, and he is surprised by Rems’ allegations because they knew each other from working together to defeat Measure R, the failed half-cent sales tax to help the county recover from bankruptcy.

He also said Denny did not shove the phone in Rems’ face, but rather handed it to him. The only time the two men touched was when they shook hands, Flint said.