Hayden’s Campaign Loan Opens Door for Weiss

Tom Hayden has lent his campaign for Los Angeles City Council another $150,000, bringing to $321,000 the total he has personally spent on loans in the primary and runoff elections.

That heavy spending may also benefit his opponent, former prosecutor Jack Weiss, under city rules designed to control fund-raising and spending for local political campaigns.

City ordinances generally limit individual donations to $500. But because of Hayden’s heavy self-financing, Weiss will be permitted to accept individual contributions as large as $4,500.

Weiss agreed not to spend more than $275,000 in the June 5 election, which means that, under city ordinance, he receives one dollar in public funds for every dollar he raises privately, up to $125,000. Hayden did not agree to the spending limit, and thus will get nothing.

“We want to get the message out early in the runoff,” Hayden’s campaign manager Rocky Rushing said Monday. “Tom is aggressively fund-raising and anticipates he will be able to repay himself in part or in full when this is all over.”

Hayden’s new loan is for the June 5 runoff for the 5th Council District, which extends from Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley to Westwood.

Weiss’ campaign manager said that, with about a month left before the election, Weiss is “on target” to spend $275,000, the maximum allowed under the matching fund program.

“This is a competitive race, and Jack has the support he needs to run a competitive campaign,” said Susan Shaw, who is managing his campaign.

She announced new endorsements Monday from Los Angeles Board of Education member Caprice Young, former Westside congressman Mel Levine, and former state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal.

In the 11-person primary election, Weiss, a former federal prosecutor, was the leading fund-raiser, bringing in $330,000, the maximum allowed in spending for the April 10 election.

Hayden’s decision to tap his personal fortune is likely to create both benefits and problems for his candidacy, according to Steve Afriat, who was the political consultant for third-place finisher Ken Gerston in last month’s election.

It frees Hayden to spend more time talking face-to-face with voters while Weiss is fund-raising.

Rushing said Hayden is voluntarily abiding by the spending limits in the race unless outside interests launch a large independent expenditure campaign to benefit Weiss.

“That is completely ethical,” Rushing said.

Larry Levine, a political consultant for Weiss, said voters should be concerned that Hayden might feel he owes more to special interests if they help pay back his loan to himself after the election.

Don Schultz, president of the Van Nuys Homeowners Assn., said he is not concerned about Hayden’s loan.

“I don’t think money buys votes. It might buy advertising, but Tom Hayden still has to go out and get the votes,” Schultz said.