3 Candidates for City Attorney Debate
The three candidates for city attorney--City Councilman Mike Feuer, Deputy Dist. Atty. Lea Purwin D’Agostino and Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo--held their first debate Friday, attempting to win over community leaders and jousting over the Rampart police scandal.
D’Agostino, a 23-year prosecutor whose toughness earned her the nickname “Dragon Lady,” ignited controversy when she said she thinks the Rampart scandal could cost as much as $1 billion in liability before its conclusion.
“I hope it’s not more than that,” she told an audience of about 100 at a breakfast called the New Millennium Series, hosted by public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
So far, the city attorney’s office has estimated the cost at $125 million.
Feuer, who heads the City Council budget committee, blasted D’Agostino’s estimate.
“One billion dollars is ridiculous,” said Feuer, who earlier called for the U.S. Department of Justice to create a joint federal, state and local panel to investigate Rampart. “Nobody knows for sure, but that figure is completely outlandish.”
Delgadillo skirted the issue, saying, “I learned in negotiating that you don’t tell the other side what you’ve got.”
The election will be held in April of next year.
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