Rogan Mailer Reveals Home Address of His Opponent

First, U.S. Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) attacked Democratic challenger Barry Gordon for being a financial misfit--then he offered to hire bodyguards to protect him.

A mailer sent out by Rogan’s campaign this week accused Gordon of fiscal irresponsibility because he was the target of four tax liens and once filed for bankruptcy protection.

But the mailer reproduced a portion of a court document which showed Gordon’s home address and Social Security number.

Gordon on Wednesday called it an “unconscionable” invasion of privacy that might endanger him and his wife, both of whom, he said, have been victims of death threats or stalkers. Gordon is an actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, and his wife is a psychologist whose practice includes some victims of domestic violence.

Rogan’s campaign manager, Jeff Lennan, said Gordon’s personal finances are fair game in a congressional campaign, but acknowledged the Democrat’s address and Social Security number should not have been released. Lennan said the campaign mailer will be pulled and, to make amends, Rogan has offered to hire bodyguards to protect the Gordons.

“We are concerned about the potential of overzealous individuals doing something regrettable,” Lennan said Wednesday. “As a result, Congressman Rogan is offering to hire a private security firm to alleviate any potential problems that may arise.”

Rogan and Gordon are fighting to represent the 27th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank and the communities sandwiched between the Verdugo and San Gabriel mountains.

The political brouhaha stems from campaign information Rogan mailed to voters this week. The packet included a letter from Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative ally of Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who blasted Gordon for having a “long record of fiscal irresponsibility that should scare anyone who cares about government accountability.”

“Mr. Rogan surely knows that a public figure in show business, sports or politics is subject to all manner of intrusions into his or her privacy, whether by paparazzi, well-meaning fans and supporters, harmless mischief-makers, or those with far more dangerous intentions,” Gordon said.

Gordon said that while he was president of the Screen Actors Guild he received death threats from a disgruntled member. Gordon’s wife said she was stalked by a man whose spouse was a victim of domestic violence.

While head of the guild, Gordon helped write California’s anti-stalker law to prevent such personal information from being released by state agencies. He was prompted by the obsessed fan who stalked and then killed “My Sister Sam” actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989.

Gordon said his personal finances are “irrelevant” and an attempt by Rogan to dodge criticism about his conservative record against abortion rights, the assault weapons ban and patient protections against bad HMOs.

However, Lennan said Gordon’s personal financial record is a legitimate concern because, if he’s elected, Gordon will be responsible for keeping the nation’s finances in order.

“The voters have a right to know this information,” Lennan said.

Rogan’s campaign mailer detailed three state and one federal tax lien filed against Gordon between 1993 and 1996, all for failure to pay taxes on time.

The mailer stated that Gordon filed for debt reorganization in federal bankruptcy court in 1985, and at the time had $88,000 in unpaid bills, and that he also was sued by a former campaign worker for not paying a $2,000 bill.

Gordon said all those debts have since been paid. The tax liens were filed as a result of debt he incurred during his failed bid for Congress in 1996, when he failed to save enough money to pay his tax bills, Gordon said.