Bradbury Among Candidates for U. S. Attorney’s Job in L. A.

The Bush administration is considering Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury as one of several candidates for U. S. attorney in Los Angeles.

Bradbury, a 59-year-old Republican, said this week that he is flattered that he has been mentioned as a candidate for top federal attorney in the Central District, which stretches from Orange County to San Luis Obispo.

“That kind of came out of the blue,” he said. “But I have not applied for the job, and I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Bradbury, the top prosecutor in Ventura County since 1978, would not comment further.

But sources familiar with the nomination process said Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) is backing Bradbury and recently praised the prosecutor in a meeting with President Bush.

“That’s correct,” Gallegly said Thursday.

“But Mike Bradbury has not solicited my support on this. I’ve said, ‘Mike, your country needs you,’ ” he added.

Other candidates include several Southland attorneys: Uttam Dhillon, a former aide to Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), and Stephen Mansfield, Thomas Holliday and Mark Holscher, all lawyers with large Los Angeles law firms. Dhillon, Mansfield and Holscher are former federal prosecutors.

Gallegly said Bradbury is a serious candidate.

Since Bush’s nominee must be confirmed by the Senate and since California’s two senators are Democrats, the Republican president’s nominee must appeal to both parties, Gallegly said. The party split in the Senate is 50-50.

“I think Mike can pass that test,” Gallegly said. “He is not viewed as a hard partisan.”

Bradbury’s selection would defy tradition because U. S. attorneys are usually seasoned federal prosecutors.

Also, the U. S. attorney for the Central District has usually come from Los Angeles, said Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor.

“I’ve heard Mr. Bradbury’s name floated, and it didn’t seem implausible to me,” Levenson said. “He’s a Republican, he’s known as a tough prosecutor and he may be what the attorney general is looking for.

“But he would be coming in as a real outsider,” she said.

A spokesman for Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), the longest-serving Republican in the House, said Lewis’ office had forwarded Gallegly’s letter recommending Bradbury to Gerald Parsky, who heads a Bush committee to find a permanent U. S. attorney in Los Angeles.

“We’ve certainly heard from Congressman Gallegly and a number of folks in Southern California, making a recommendation on [Bradbury’s] behalf,” said Jim Specht, a Lewis aide. “Gallegly has sent a letter to the selection committee talking about Mr. Bradbury’s capabilities. And we’ve received letters of support from local officials.”

John S. Gordon, 43, is the interim U. S. attorney. He replaced Alejandro Mayorkas, an appointee of President Clinton, two weeks ago and will serve for up to 120 days.

Gordon, a 17-year assistant U. S. attorney with a political status of registered independent, may also be a serious contender for the job, legal experts have said.

The committee headed by Parsky, who led Bush’s California campaign last year, will determine whom to recommend as the next U. S. attorney in Los Angeles, one of 93 such posts to be filled by Bush nationwide.

It could take several months for the committee to make a recommendation since there are at least half a dozen candidates, analysts said.