L.A. County district attorney investigates politicians over campaign committee
State Sen. Alex Padilla and L.A. City Councilman Tony Cardenas are at the center of a probe to determine if they had illegal control of the panel, sources say.
The Los Angeles County district attorney has opened an investigation into whether two San Fernando Valley politicians illegally exceeded election spending limits by raising money through an independent campaign committee, sources familiar with the matter said.
Prosecutors and investigators with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission have spent the last three months asking questions about the committee and whether it was controlled by two political allies: state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas.
State law bars elected officials from controlling independent expenditure committees, which usually have no limit on how much they can raise from individual donors or spend on candidates.
Determining exactly who controls such committees can be tricky, however. California's government code is vague on the topic and says elected officials control a committee if they, or their representatives, have a "significant influence" on its actions.
Investigators with Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley's Public Integrity Division have served search warrants as part of the investigation, issuing one to Burbank-based accountant Kinde Durkee, two sources said this week. Durkee is listed on the committee campaign contribution reports as treasurer -- and is the only contact for the group.
The Citizens for Dependable and Reliable Leadership committee was formed in February 2005. It supported candidates in the San Fernando City Council election and, a year later, the 2006 candidacy of Lt. Gov. John Garamendi.
The committee spent its largest sum on behalf of the 2005 mayoral bid of then-City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, allocating $54,000 for campaign postcards and other expenses, according to campaign finance reports. Three Villaraigosa mailers featured photos of Padilla and Cardenas, and a fourth had images of Padilla and L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar.
At the time, Padilla and Cardenas were council members representing the northeast Valley. Both had been supporters of incumbent Mayor James K. Hahn but switched to backing Villaraigosa in the campaign's final weeks. In that same period, the committee spent its money on Villaraigosa's behalf, according to spending reports.
Villaraigosa is not a subject of the probe, sources said.
Padilla's attorney, Stephen Kaufman, said his client did not control the committee and is "not aware of whether anyone else controlled the committee."
- Donations to Hahn Allies Scrutinized Nov 01, 2004
- Padilla Raises More Money Than Sanchez May 29, 1999
- Candidates Rely on Funds From Afar Apr 06, 1999
