Lopez Denies Seeking Funds From Informant in Moreno Trial

A former Anaheim councilman accused of graft by an FBI informant in the corruption trial of Santa Ana Councilman Ted Moreno categorically denied the allegations Thursday.

“If I had an informant like him I would not use him. He’s a liar,” Lou Lopez said of prosecution witness and businessman Vaskin Koshkerian. “If he’s lied about this what else has he lied about?”

Lopez, 56, is not a defendant in the federal trial and prosecutors have said he’s not under suspicion. However, Koshkerian, the FBI informant at the center of Moreno’s corruption probe, testified Tuesday that he had been approached by other Orange County elected officials seeking illegal contributions, including Lopez.

Koshkerian said Lopez, then a member of the Anaheim City Council, sought $20,000 in 1995 in exchange for favorable votes on matters that would affect Koshkerian’s business interests.

“It never happened,” said Lopez, a candidate for state Assembly in November. “This has impacted my life, my credibility.”

Federal prosecutors said in a letter to Lopez on Wednesday that they regretted “the fact that your name surfaced at trial. . . . In no way was it the government’s intention that your name come up at trial. . . . We assure you that you are no longer under investigation, and there are no pending matters whatsoever regarding you.”

The document was signed by Assistant U.S. Attys. John Hueston and Jean Kawahara.

Lopez said he’s been subpoenaed by Moreno’s attorney, Dean Steward, to testify in the trial. He will report to court Tuesday when the trial resumes.

Moreno is accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions from Koshkerian to fund a slate of city candidates in the 1996 elections and laundering the money.