Probe Urged of Baca’s Alleged Offers to Block

Los Angeles County sheriff candidate Bill Baker on Monday called on the state attorney general’s office to investigate allegations that opponent Lee Baca offered Sheriff Sherman Block numerous inducements to drop out of the race, possibly violating the state elections code.

“At the very least there is an attempted bribery of a public official by a law enforcement officer,” said Baker. The retired sheriff’s chief is running against Block in the June election, along with Baca and Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Gomes. “If anyone is going to shed some light on this, it’s the A.G.’s office.”

Block maintains that Sheriff’s Chief Baca has offered several perks if he abandons his attempt to seek a fifth term, including allowing Block to retain his personal office, have a county car, a county driver and become sheriff emeritus.

Block also said that Baca offered to drop out of the race if the incumbent would step down after being reelected and help his rival win appointment to the post--allegations the sheriff has backed up with signed declarations from four members of his staff.

Under state elections code section 18205, it is illegal for a person to “advance, pay or solicit” any money or other valuables to induce a person not to run for public office or to withdraw his candidacy. Violations carry a state prison term ranging from 16 months to three years.

Block said last week that he did not intend to seek criminal charges against Baca but instead wanted a “public airing.” Even if charges were filed, legal experts say, the law is so ambiguous that it would be difficult to get a conviction.

Nevertheless, Baker said he wanted Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren to investigate the matter. He said he bypassed the district attorney’s office because Gil Garcetti has endorsed Block.

Representatives from Lungren’s office said Monday that they would examine the case after receiving Baker’s letter, which he said he sent to Sacramento on Monday.

“We have to wait and see what information is provided to us,” said Matt Ross, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

In addition to blasting Baca, Baker also criticized Block for opting not to pursue charges. He also questioned why the sheriff tolerated Baca’s alleged attempts to get him to step down, which the sheriff characterized as having occurred on numerous occasions over the last several years.

“By failing to pursue an investigation of this bribery attempt of a public official, it appears that Sheriff Block is misfeasant in his duties as chief law enforcement officer of Los Angeles County,” Baker wrote. “Until these allegations are resolved, Mr. Baca, at the very least, should be relieved of his duties as a law enforcement officer and candidate for public office.”

Baca--who last week confirmed his campaign to get the sheriff to step down, then called a news conference to deny it--declined to comment on the matter Monday.

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In a statement last week, Block said he decided not to make an issue of Baca’s proposal until now because he was worried that it might “affect morale within the Sheriff’s Department.” Finally, he said he had enough and decided to go public.

Block’s campaign staff said they were pleased Baker was taking the matter up with state prosecutors.

So far, only two people have been prosecuted under the election code section in question--former Rep. Bobbi Fiedler (R-Los Angeles) and her top political aide. The two were accused of offering a $100,000 campaign contribution to lure then-state Sen. Ed Davis out of California’s Republican U.S. Senate primary in 1986.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed the charges, saying that simply offering an inducement to Davis to drop out of the race did not appear to be a violation of the law. The code, the judge said, covered the advance, payment, solicitation or receipt of money--but not an offer to pay money.