Riordan Vows to Shun Lobby Groups; Jones Unveils Ad

Pressing his case against Gov. Gray Davis, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan promised Monday that if he is elected governor, he will not let lobbyists meet with him or his staff.

Under attack from his two rivals for the Republican nomination, Riordan used a stop at Jerry’s Famous Deli in Studio City to try to keep the focus on the incumbent, Democrat Davis, whose prodigious fund-raising he has repeatedly criticized.

“Nobody is going to buy Dick Riordan or buy the state off through Dick Riordan,” said the former mayor, who added that he generally does not accept contributions from lobbyists.

The comments came as one of Riordan’s major rivals prepared to go on the air with an ad questioning Riordan’s Republican credentials.

Secretary of State Bill Jones unveiled a 30-second spot in which former Gov. George Deukmejian calls Riordan a “liberal big city mayor who has given millions of dollars to Democrats” and “a man I couldn’t vote for.”

Deukmejian, the chairman of Jones’ campaign, also dismisses the third candidate for the GOP nomination, Pacific Palisades businessman Bill Simon Jr., as someone who has never been elected to public office and never voted in a Republican primary. (Simon has acknowledged failing to vote in three statewide primaries and his staff challenges the accuracy of the Los Angeles County records that show he missed others.)

The former governor remains popular with the Republican rank-and-file, and his public criticism of two men who hope to be the party’s nominee underscores how the three-man race has fractured the GOP.

Typically, retired statesmen decline to engage in pre-primary negativity. But Deukmejian’s and Riordan’s squabble reaches back two decades, to Riordan’s loan of $300,000 to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley when he was running for governor against Deukmejian.

Riordan, more moderate than Simon or Jones, has led in both fund-raising and early polls, but according to private polls his lead has been slipping. He has come under attack by his rivals for his past support of Democrats, and from Davis for alleged inconsistencies in his positions on abortion and the death penalty.

Simon, a friend of Riordan’s, shied away from attacks early in the race but is expected to soon unleash his own ad going after the former mayor.

Jones ranks last in fund-raising among the major candidates, and until today has not had a presence on the air. Aides said Jones’ new ad will run statewide beginning today. Those with knowledge of the candidates’ media purchases, however, said that as of Monday, Jones had not bought any sizable time on television.

The Jones ad not only attacks his two rivals but also tries to introduce Jones to the electorate, all within 30 seconds. Deukmejian calls the secretary of state “a leader we can trust.” And, standing next to the former governor, the candidate declares: “I offer what my opponents can’t: experience--and Republican values.”

At a campaign stop at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, Simon scoffed at the ad’s criticism of him. “I’m not going to make an issue out of the fact that my opponents are professional politicians,” said Simon, who regularly underscores that very fact.

Riordan used his pledge to spurn lobbyists as a way to step up his attack on Davis and his ethics. Riordan also returned Monday to his efforts last week to slam Davis for accepting campaign donations around the same time he is deciding whether to sign or veto bills. He vowed to end the practice.

“That’s all Gray Davis has in his mind: ‘Before I sign a bill, how much money can I wring out of people who have an interest in that piece of legislation,’ ” Riordan said Monday.

On the lobbying front, Riordan said he wanted his staff “to independently make up their mind as to what’s in the best interests of the state, not what’s in the best interest of Dick Riordan as a politician--and not how much money I can get out of the person--as Gray Davis does.”

Davis spokesman Roger Salazar accused Riordan of “making things up....Gov. Davis’ policy decisions are based on what’s in the best interests of the citizens of the state of California--and nothing else.”

“Given Dick Riordan’s record so far in this campaign of distortions, exaggerations and half-truths,” Salazar said, “I’m not sure you can believe any promises he makes.”

Riordan said that when he was mayor, he generally did not allow lobbyists into his office.

“Now I can’t say that any one of them didn’t talk to one member of my staff, because I don’t know,” he said. “The general rule was, they gave up and spent their time lobbying the City Council.”

There are plenty of lobbyists at City Hall, but the profession is far more ensconced in Sacramento, where $344 million was spent on lobbying during 1999 and 2000, according to the secretary of state’s office. Lobbyists in the state capital work for groups ranging from the Sierra Club to teacher and police unions to such corporate giants as Chevron and Cisco.

Riordan downplayed the need for lobbyists.

“You’ve got all kinds of really outstanding groups throughout the state and the country, so why do you need the lobbyists?” he said. “Because the one thing is you know they’re going to spin it towards their client.”

Riordan, a multimillionaire, said his “general policy” has been--and will continue to be--not to accept any donations from lobbyists.

“My policy always has been not to,” he said. “But you’re always afraid that you’re going to find one exception, and it’s going to be on the headlines.”

A preliminary review of the more than $9 million Riordan has raised for his gubernatorial campaign turned up a $500 contribution from Sacramento lobbying company Hunter/Ruiz.

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Times researcher Maloy Moore contributed to this article.