Hahn Ad Resurrects 4-Year-Old Attack

Mayor James K. Hahn’s latest TV ad packs four criticisms of opponent Antonio Villaraigosa into 15 seconds, including a mention of an issue Hahn raised four years ago: his foe’s efforts to win clemency for a convicted drug dealer.

The Villaraigosa camp responded Thursday with an ad that says Hahn “smeared” Villaraigosa in the 2001 mayoral election, adding: “Now he’s at it again.”

It goes on to refute another of Hahn’s new attacks, on Villaraigosa’s vote against a bill strengthening child-abuse laws.

The ads were part of an intense volley of charges and countercharges from both sides Thursday, as the two candidates vied for voters’ attention in the final days before Tuesday’s election.

The 15-second Hahn ad was shown on only one station Wednesday, but a full roll-out was planned for Thursday, Hahn campaign advisor Kam Kuwata said.

In the ad, an announcer says, “Los Angeles can’t trust Antonio Villaraigosa.”

It then makes references to a lawsuit Villaraigosa filed in the early 1990s opposing a San Fernando anti-gang ordinance, his opposition to a bill that strengthened anti-child-abuse laws, a current district attorney’s investigation into some of Villaraigosa’s campaign donors, and his attempts to secure clemency for Carlos Vignali, the son of one of Villaraigosa’s political contributors.

In the final days of the 2001 race, the Hahn campaign ran a contentious ad that focused on Vignali and included images of a crack pipe.

Former 2005 mayoral candidate Bernard C. Parks, who now supports Villaraigosa, has called the old ads “racist.”

In the current race, Hahn briefly mentioned the Vignali issue in an ad before the March election.

This week, the Hahn campaign took a different approach, premiering an ad featuring Karey Jaeger, the mother of a 22-month-old boy who was killed by her former boyfriend. In it, she notes that Villaraigosa was the only member of the California Assembly to vote against a 1996 bill that would have extended sentences for child killers.

Villaraigosa’s campaign says that the reference to the vote was taken out of context. Their new ad says Villaraigosa, “the father of four children, voted for a tougher bill, a stronger bill. A bill that also increased penalties to 25 to life but went even further, eliminating parole for first-degree murderers who kill a child.”

Since the Hahn ad premiered Wednesday, the Villaraigosa campaign has circulated a flier saying the ad proves Hahn “runs the sleaziest campaigns in America.”

But at a news conference Thursday in North Hollywood, Hahn said the issue underscores his theme that Villaraigosa is too soft on crime.

“He obviously felt it was a vote of conscience,” Hahn said. “We have a philosophical difference on our approach to protecting children in this state.”

Leaders from four neighborhood councils joined Hahn at the news conference to endorse the mayor and praise his support for the groups, created in 1999 by the revised City Charter.

Villaraigosa received the endorsement of county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. The two men greeted early morning subway riders at the North Hollywood Red Line stop.

“We share a vision that Los Angeles needs to have a world-class public transportation system,” Villaraigosa said later. “I’m honored to have his support.”

Times staff writer Daniel Hernandez contributed to this report.