2nd Firm Gives Free Billboard Ads to Delgadillo

Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo has received a total of $424,250 in free advertising space for his campaign to become Los Angeles’ next city attorney, as a second billboard company disclosed a large independent expenditure on his behalf.

As the campaign against Councilman Mike Feuer entered the last two weeks, Regency Outdoor Advertising reported to city ethics officials that it had contributed $125,000 worth of billboard space to Delgadillo. The infusion of new billboards comes in addition to $299,250 worth of advertising space provided to Delgadillo by Eller Media Co. since the campaign for city attorney began.

Feuer on Tuesday called the billboard industry’s support for Delgadillo obscene.

He warned that Delgadillo’s election would mean lax enforcement of a city law Feuer wrote that bans alcohol and tobacco advertising on billboards within 1,000 feet of homes, schools, parks and places of worship.

But Delgadillo campaign spokeswoman Kristina Scott said her candidate supports the city law and would defend it if elected as city attorney in the June 5 runoff.

The ordinance was adopted in September 1998, over the vehement objections of billboard industry executives and lobbyists. The ban has been challenged in federal court by grocers, liquor store owners, brewers and winemakers. The case is still pending.

Scott said the decision of Regency and Eller to provide the billboard space was made independent of Delgadillo’s campaign. “He couldn’t tell them to take them down,” she said. “Eller and Regency are expressing their free speech rights.”

She suggested that Feuer was engaging in “a little bit of hypocrisy” by taking such a hard line against alcohol and tobacco billboards near schools and residential areas with children while not opposing a large beer ad inside Staples Center downtown.

Feuer dismissed the suggestion as being off the point and said Delgadillo is “clearly the billboard company’s bet in this race.”

Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party reported Tuesday that it collected more than $260,000 in campaign contributions in the final 10 days before last month’s Los Angeles municipal election. Much of the money came in $50,000 checks from television magnate Haim Saban, the California Teachers Assn. and Ameriquest Capital Corp. of Orange. All are supporting former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in his quest to become mayor. Internet visionary and GeoCities founder David Bohnett gave $25,000.

The state party made the disclosures in a 3-inch-thick report detailing $2.1 million in fund-raising between Jan. 1 and April 10.

The latest information follows a report filed late last month that showed billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle each gave $100,000 to the state party in the weeks before the election. At that point, the California Teachers Assn. and the Service Employees International Union had given $250,000 to the state party. The Democratic National Committee provided $240,000.

The massive contributions to the state party have raised questions about whether major donors are circumventing Los Angeles campaign finance laws that were intended to limit contributions by individuals, businesses and special interests.

The large independent expenditures by the billboard industry on Delgadillo’s behalf have affected the city attorney’s race in the first round and the runoff by lifting the city’s campaign spending limit, allowing both sides to raise and spend as much as possible.