Election Investigation Nears Conclusion

House Republicans could conclude their investigation into the election of Rep. Loretta Sanchez (R-Garden Grove) in the next two weeks, two GOP leaders said Wednesday.

“We will know by then,” said Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) chairman of the House subcommittee that has been investigating claims that voting by noncitizens and other election irregularities lead to Sanchez’s 984-vote victory over incumbent Robert K. Dornan.

Ehlers’ position was backed up by a similar suggestion from House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, who had told reporters earlier that he expects to “have the thing . . . resolved in the next week or so.”

Despite those firm statements, Ehlers had yet to discuss the specifics of when to end the inquiry with Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Bakersfield), the chairman of the full committee investigating the election, according to a spokesman for Thomas.

“Mr. Thomas is waiting for a recommendation by Vern Ehlers,” said spokesman Jason Poblete. “We don’t have a recommendation on a timeline from him.”

The two GOP statements came on the same day that congressional Republicans rebuffed another effort by Democrats, who are in the minority, to dismiss the election challenge by Dornan.

The House voted 214-189 to table a resolution calling for an end to the investigation. The motion was offered by House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and was backed by all the Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Michael P. Forbes of New York. Joining the Republicans was one Democrat, Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Ohio.

Sanchez sharply criticized the GOP leadership’s decision not to debate the Gephardt motion, or to discuss any of the substantive proposals offered by President Clinton in his State of the Union address.

Republicans “won’t even let the House debate” the election challenge, which has been pending now for more than a year, she said.

Sanchez pointed out that an investigation by the Orange County district attorney had failed to indict anyone for voter fraud in the 1996 race.

In Orange County, Dornan attorney Mike Schroeder said he too expects the inquiry to end by mid-February.

“It is our understanding that this matter should be resolved within the next 10 days to two weeks,” he said. “We have not had any indication on how the committee might rule. It is clear that there is enough evidence to order a new election.”

Dornan has said he will be a candidate to regain his seat in 1998 regardless of what the House does, but would not run in the June primary and the general election in November if the House calls a special election before then.

Three other Republicans have announced they will run in the June primary: Superior Court Judge James Gray, lawyer Lisa Hughes and Anaheim City Councilman Bob Zemel.

While Gray and Hughes have said they will run regardless of Dornan’s decision, Zemel this week was concerned about whether Dornan would run.

County Republican leaders say that Zemel, whose conservative right-to-life politics mirrors Dornan’s, might switch races and announce a run for county supervisor for the seat being vacated by William G. Steiner. Jonathan Choi, a spokesman for Zemel, said the councilman is not eager to challenge Dornan, and acknowledged that “the temptation has been there” to run for supervisor.

Zemel may not make up his mind until the March 6 filing deadline, he said. “We could go [to the Registrar’s] on March 6 with two sets of papers in hand,” he said. “Bob [Zemel] has realized there has to be alternatives with Dornan sneaking around.”

*

The Associated Press contributed to this report.