The millionaire developer who wants to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team denied breaking any campaign finance laws Friday, insisting his contributions to city candidates have been legal.
Alan Casden said the search warrant served by prosecutors on his Beverly Hills business Thursday had been targeted at a vice president of the firm.
"We deny vehemently any violations of the law," Casden said.
The district attorney's Public Integrity Unit and the city Ethics Commission are investigating whether subcontractors or employees of Casden Properties were improperly reimbursed for campaign contributions made in the 2001 city elections, according to sources familiar with the probe.
The practice of reimbursing a contributor is known as political money laundering because it hides the true source of the contribution.
The district attorney's office said searches had been conducted at four locations, including Casden Properties in Beverly Hills.
Casden confirmed that investigators had served a search warrant on the work station of John Archibald, a vice president of Casden Properties, and seized Archibald's company computer. Prosecutors also served a search warrant at Archibald's house in Simi Valley, where items that were seized included credit cards belonging to Archibald's wife, Casden said.
Archibald could not be reached for comment.
Casden said district attorney's officials had not searched his personal office or asked for any of his documents.
"They told us I am not the focus of any investigation," Casden said.
Representatives of the district attorney's office would not comment Friday on the focus of the investigation.
Archibald is identified in campaign finance reports as a senior vice president in charge of construction for Casden Properties. He and his wife contributed to the 2001 mayoral campaign of Kathleen Connell and to campaign committees for Council President Alex Padilla and Councilmen Eric Garcetti and Greig Smith.
In an interview Friday, Casden was adamant in denying any personal or corporate wrongdoing.
"That is ridiculous," said Casden. " We only make legal contributions."
Casden and his company have contributed $213,000 to benefit candidates and causes in city contests during the last four years.
