2nd District Foes Exchange Accusations

The contest for the Los Angeles City Council’s 2nd District heated up Wednesday with two leading candidates trading accusations of ethical lapses, while both also reported major fund-raising advances in the race.

The Dec. 11 special election features a matchup between DreamWorks SKG executive Wendy Greuel, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Panorama City) and Van Nuys businessman James Cordaro.

On Wednesday, Greuel said Cardenas acted inappropriately when he solicited support for his campaign during a county-sponsored event Oct. 26. That event kicked off a program funded by a Cardenas bill to help at-risk youth.

Richard Shumsky, county chief probation officer, sent a confidential memo to the Board of Supervisors, saying he had not known Cardenas would use the event to seek support for his candidacy and pass out campaign material.

“Had we known, we would have attempted to discourage those actions,” Shumsky wrote, adding that he has reminded his staff that county policy prohibits individuals from politicking during county events. According to the memo, Cardenas was asked to speak at the event about the youth program.

“Towards the end of his comments, he made reference to his City Council campaign and used the occasion to invite support by those in attendance,” Shumsky wrote. “In addition to this, a member of Assembly Member Cardenas’ staff spontaneously began distributing flyers that spoke of his commitment to juvenile justice issues but were primarily brochures for his upcoming campaign.”

Greuel said Cardenas should not have used a county-sponsored event to stump for votes. “What that memo indicates is he is running a taxpayer-financed campaign,” Greuel said. “It’s very inappropriate.”

Cardenas denied he had done anything improper.

“Mr. Shumsky was sitting right next to me and he didn’t say anything,” Cardenas said. The legislator said he talked about his candidacy in response to a question from a participant at the event and that a campaign worker had received permission to pass out fliers.

Cardenas also challenged Greuel’s record. He said Greuel should be embarrassed about a 1991 report by The Times that she and five other members of then-Mayor Tom Bradley’s staff had received verbal reprimands. Bradley had said the six aides created “the perception that they used either city time or city facilities to assist an ongoing campaign” by a council candidate.

Greuel said Wednesday she had often briefed candidates and others about city issues, and said the city attorney’s office dropped its investigation of the 1991 incident without finding wrongdoing. “It was not inappropriate,” Greuel said.

The attacks and counterattacks come as both candidates have begun running cable television ads to complement the barrage of mail they are sending to voters.

To fund the advertising blitzes, Greuel and Cardenas both expect to attract contributions and city matching funds totaling nearly $330,000, the maximum amount they can spend in the election as part of an agreement that provided them with city matching funds.

Meanwhile, Cardenas said he has raised about $305,000 and Greuel said she has brought in about $372,000 in contributions and city matching funds.