SACRAMENTO — Michael Blumenfield thinks his son Bob would do a fine job representing the San Fernando Valley in the state Legislature.
So he poured $120,000 into campaign advertising and, he said, never discussed it with his son, who lives in the same Woodland Hills neighborhood.
By law, such "independent expenditures" cannot be coordinated with candidates. They are most often used by business and union interests to mail brochures and air TV ads for or against candidates in the weeks before an election.
Donations to independent efforts are unrestricted. They have become increasingly common since 2000, when voters capped the size of direct donations to state politicians.
Observers say they've rarely seen a candidate's family run a campaign outside the control of the candidate, although in 2001, five brothers and other relatives and friends financed a $10,000 radio ad campaign on behalf of Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge.
And although one of Bob Blumenfield's opponents in the Assembly race has complained to a state watchdog agency about the father's advertising, Michael Blumenfield said he's only trying to help his son fulfill his dreams.
"If there's anything we could do for him, we would," he said, "and we would only do it in the most legal and proper way."
Other donors to the effort on behalf of Blumenfield include his sister-in-law, who gave $15,000, and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village), for whom Bob Blumenfield worked as a district director until last month.
Berman's political campaign kicked in $100,000 to help pay for an ad that features the junior Blumenfield, his wife and young daughter. In all, more than $154,000 has been raised on the candidate's behalf outside his campaign.
Blumenfield is on the June 3 ballot for the Democratic nomination in the 40th Assembly District. The seat is now held by Lloyd Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys who is running for state Senate. Levine's father, Larry, is Blumenfield's campaign manager.
Larry Levine said he knew nothing about the television advertising until opposing candidate Stuart Waldman of Van Nuys sent out a news release Wednesday accusing Blumenfield of "laundering" funds from his father and boss.
"There has been no coordination," said Levine. "None."
He noted that an independent expenditure committee funded by real estate professionals, dentists and other business interests has spent nearly $300,000 supporting Waldman, a former chief of staff to Lloyd Levine.
