GOP Mailer Attacks 3 Mayoral Contenders

Harshening the tone of what had been a well-mannered race for mayor of Los Angeles, the state Republican Party this week sent a mailer to more than 120,000 voters, sharply attacking three of the top contenders.

The mailer accuses former legislator Antonio Villaraigosa of maintaining a “slush fund,” links City Atty. James K. Hahn to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and her defense of the Los Angeles rioters and tags City Councilman Joel Wachs, a fiscal conservative, as just one of several big-spending “old-style politicians.”

The mailer was sent in support of commercial real estate broker Steve Soboroff, the only Republican on the April 10 ballot. The attack comes at a time when other candidates are releasing new, but considerably more benign, television advertisements.

Republican Party officials said the mailer, with absentee voter applications attached, is just the first of many communications they plan to make with voters.

A Soboroff campaign spokesman said that the candidate “has no control over what the Republican Party does” and that Soboroff will focus his campaign on his own record and platform. Spokesman Phil Paule said the campaign will not criticize the party for the attack.

Campaign mailers from so-called independent sources such as the political parties and organized labor are expected to play an increasingly significant role in the final 3 1/2 weeks of the campaign. Although the race is technically nonpartisan, both the Republican and Democratic state parties are expected to weigh in heavily for their favorites.

It is not uncommon for the harshest attacks to come from these independent campaigns, allowing candidates to appear above the fray.

But at least one of those attacked in the Republican mailer, Wachs, said, “The most disturbing thing of all is Steve is being completely dishonest and saying he has nothing to do with this.”

Wachs said he cannot prove that Soboroff supported the mailer, but believes his opponent’s campaign has been conducting research for such an attack.

“It’s just sleazy,” Wachs said. “And in the end, people are going to care more about honesty and integrity.”

Villaraigosa called the mailer a “low blow” and added: “I think, at the very least, Steve needs to disassociate himself from that mailing.”

Paule called Wachs’ allegation “ridiculous” and added that Soboroff would not personally say anything about the piece.

The eight-page mailer touts Soboroff’s Republican credentials and draws sharp caricatures of the three men GOP state political director Jim Camp said are considered Soboroff’s top competitors. The mailer says:

* Hahn is “strongly backed by the divisive Congresswoman Maxine Waters, known for her defense of the Los Angeles rioters.” The city attorney is also described as “a puppet for the old [Mayor] Tom Bradley political machine.”

* Villaraigosa was “the first politician to ask Bill Clinton to release now-pardoned cocaine kingpin Carlos Vignali from federal prison.” The mailer accuses the former legislator of maintaining “a separate $1.3-million slush fund from special interests.”

* Wachs “masquerades” as a fiscal conservative but “led the fight against Proposition 13.” The mailer goes on to accuse the city councilman of spending $300,000 in taxpayer funds “to promote himself.” It concludes that Wachs’ City Council attendance “has been the worst.”

Some of those statements are misleading; others are exaggerated or untrue.

In relation to Waters, the liberal congresswoman supports Hahn and did express sympathy for those involved in the 1992 riots. But Hahn never condoned the outburst of violence and looting.

Villaraigosa did write a letter to the White House five years ago on behalf of a cocaine trafficker--an act he apologized for. The “cocaine kingpin” description is an exaggeration for a man convicted of financing a one-time shipment of 700 pounds of the drug.

The “slush fund” refers to $1.3 million in campaign funds that Villaraigosa legally has set aside to run for a state Senate seat in the event that he does not become mayor.

As to Wachs, the mailer is correct in saying that the councilman opposed property tax-slashing Proposition 13 when it was on the ballot in 1978. But he has since come to favor it and other tax-control measures.

The accusation of spending taxpayer funds for self-promotion refers to Wachs’ distribution of a directory of city services mailed to more than 100,000 voters in Los Angeles. Many saw the directory, with Wachs’ name on the cover, as blatantly political. Others said they appreciated Wachs for providing a service the city itself does not.

Finally, as to Wachs’ attendance, it has at times been the worst on the 15-member City Council. But in 2000, there were three other council members who missed more meetings.

The underlying source of funds for the party mailing may never be known. Proposition 34, a measure approved by voters last November, allows political parties, labor unions and others to communicate with their members without disclosing their funding, which is required of other groups.

The provocative mailing came as two of the mayoral candidates launched new television advertisements.

Villaraigosa’s second TV ad trumpets his wide-ranging endorsements, attributing the support to his work for safe parks and health care, among other issues.

Hahn launched two new advertisements. Like the first ad of his campaign, one opens with a family photo that includes the candidate’s father, the late county Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. A Times survey found that much of Hahn’s popularity is based on the strong political name built by his father.

Rep. Xavier Becerra started running Spanish-language TV ads on Tuesday, emphasizing his commitment to improving public schools and reducing school busing.

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Times staff writer Matea Gold contributed to this story.