Sanchez, Padilla Announce Endorsements, Trade Accusations

Rival Los Angeles City Council candidates Corinne Sanchez and Alex Padilla claimed new endorsements Thursday as both campaigns were accused of misleading advertising.

The League of Women Voters criticized Sanchez, while the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles ordered a letter withdrawn that wrongly suggested the church supported Padilla. The church makes no political endorsements.

Sanchez and Padilla are locked in a bitter contest to fill the northeast San Fernando Valley’s 7th District seat on the City Council.

Sanchez picked up endorsements from county Supervisor Mike Antonovich and Sheriff Lee Baca. She has been endorsed by the full Board of Supervisors.

Padilla announced the endorsement of Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles).

Both campaigns have flooded the district with attack mailers. One Sanchez mailer stated Padilla “says he would welcome contributions from gambling interests and casinos.”

Padilla filed a complaint over the mailer with the newly created Campaign Watch Commission of the League of Women Voters, made up of city leaders, including former Councilman Marvin Braude and former Police Commission President Dan Garcia.

The Campaign Watch Commission said the response from the Sanchez campaign “does not adequately support their assertion” about Padilla.

League President Xandra Kayden said she hopes the ruling and others later will force campaigns to avoid misleading voters.

“Our hope is that campaigns will become circumspect about what they say about each other, because there will be a watchdog paying attention to what they say,” Kayden said.

Rick Taylor, a campaign consultant for Padilla, accused Sanchez of distorting the facts.

“Alex Padilla has not taken any money from gambling interests,” Taylor said. “In addition, Padilla has repeatedly stated publicly that he would not accept any such contributions.”

Steve Gray-Barkan, a spokesman for Sanchez, said Padilla did say he would be open to accepting campaign contributions from his boss, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), and that Cardenas has raised more than $200,000 from Indian gaming interests.

“It’s in that context that he [Padilla] said it,” Gray-Barkan said, calling the commission ruling “silly.” He said the commission ruled against four other complaints by Padilla, including one challenging a mailer’s assertion that Padilla “opposes Valley self-government.”

The watchdog group said the other four claims by Sanchez “fall within the acceptable range of political discourse.”

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles ordered a Valley priest to withdraw an endorsement letter used in a Padilla mailing. Critics said the letter made it appear to voters that Padilla had the church’s backing.

“We have instructed Father [Luis] Valbuena to make no further attempt to endorse a particular political candidate,” Msgr. Richard A. Loomis wrote.

Gray-Barkan accused Padilla of improperly using the church to further his campaign in conflict with church rules against endorsing in political campaigns.

In announcing his support for Sanchez, Antonovich said Sanchez received an “A” grade from the secession group Valley VOTE while Padilla had received a “C.”

“San Fernando Valley residents deserve the best, and Corinne Sanchez is the best voice for the San Fernando Valley,” said Antonovich, who represents much of the Valley.

His endorsement means all five supervisors have backed Sanchez, who is executive director of the social service agency El Proyecto del Barrio.

Baca called Sanchez “a true leader in the fight against gangs and drugs.”