Univision Chief Gives $200,000 for Block’s Bid

The billionaire chairman of Univision Communications, who recently gave $1.5 million to defeat the anti-bilingual education initiative, has contributed $200,000 to a committee supporting the reelection of Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block.

A. Jerrold Perenchio, head of one of the nation’s most successful Spanish-language media companies, set up an independent expenditure committee that has been buying radio ads supporting Block, campaign finance records show.

“He’s one of those guys who puts his money where his mouth is,” said Harvey Englander, a consultant to Block’s campaign. “This helps [Block’s] candidacy. We’re very pleased.”

Perenchio, whose committee is called the Citizens to Retain Sheriff Block, declined through a spokeswoman to comment on his donation.

His contribution, however, was denounced by supporters of Sheriff’s Chief Lee Baca, who is running against Block.

“We believe [the independent expenditure committee] is a sham designed to evade county campaign reform laws,” said Jorge Flores, head of Baca’s campaign.

Under the campaign finance laws, individuals can contribute up to $1,000 per candidate each election cycle. However, there is no limit to the amount a person can contribute to an independent expenditure committee. Such committees are not supposed to have any ties to the candidate’s official campaign committees.

Flores said Cary Davidson, the treasurer of Perenchio’s committee, has close business ties to Englander.

“He has close business ties to every political consultant in California,” Englander said. “I’m only one of his clients.”

Before establishing the expenditure committee, Perenchio donated $100,000 to Block’s campaign before the passage of Proposition B in 1996, which limited campaign contributions to $1,000.

“Giving $200,000 to an independent expenditure campaign violates the spirit of the reform laws, which were supposed to level the playing field for all candidates,” Flores said. “Lee doesn’t have friends who can afford to contribute that kind of money to buy radio ads for him.”

He added that Perenchio “is single-handedly responsible” for an overwhelming chunk of Block’s contributions. “That doesn’t show a broad base of support,” Flores said.

Over the course of the campaign, Block has raised about $480,000 to Baca’s $315,000. The two other candidates in the race, retired Chief Bill Baker and Sgt. Patrick Gomez, have raised significantly less money.

Perenchio, 67, who lives in Bel-Air, has been listed among the nation’s richest people for more than a decade. In October, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1.5 billion. Perenchio, the chairman and chief executive officer of Los Angeles-based Univision, also has been a major donor to Gov. Pete Wilson and is a close friend of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Last week, campaign finance statements showed that Perenchio made one of the largest personal contributions in the history of state initiative politics with a donation of $1.5 million to the anti-Proposition 227 movement. The initiative would end most bilingual education programs in California schools.

In a related development Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and a local association representing several law enforcement agencies endorsed Block for reelection.

“It seemed like the right thing to do. He’s got many years of outstanding service to the county. He’s a strong leader,” said union President Dave Hepburn.

The Southern California Assn. of Law Enforcement joined the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Assn., the Los Angeles Police Department Command Officers Assn. and other law enforcement agencies in endorsing the sheriff’s campaign.