John Seymour

WEIR OUTTA HERE: Jeff Weir, a veteran Orange County Register reporter, has taken a job as state press aide for U.S. Sen. John Seymour (R-Calif.). . . . Weir has known Seymour, formerly the state senator from Anaheim, since 1985, when they both worked in Sacramento. In 1989, the Register sent Weir to Washington, where Seymour landed last January. . . . "It's going to require the same tools you learn as a journalist," Weir said. "Be honest."

In a hilly section of this affluent town, William E. Cooper bought a 3,400-square-foot house in a gated community by raising money the same way he did in business. He got it from investors. Those who helped by lending him money were eventually paid back. But 8,000 investors are wondering if they will recoup $350 million they put into the labyrinth of companies under Cooper's First Diversified Financial Services in Irvine. Cooper's First Pension Corp.

When William E. Cooper, a politically well-connected real estate investor, bought politician John Seymour's real estate brokerage in 1981, he said he hoped to emulate the giants of Wall Street finance. This may not be what he had in mind. Federal investigators revealed Friday that First Pension Corp., Cooper's Orange County pension management firm, may have lost or misappropriated as much as $124 million in client funds.

A party was going on, but John Seymour wasn't there. Instead, the former U.S. senator from California was home watching TV images of his erstwhile colleagues back in Washington flash by during a presidential address to Congress. There was a tug of nostalgia, a wistful moment--but no remorse. "I said to my wife: It's good in a lot of ways to be out of there," Seymour recalled. "It's a chapter of my life that's written and done."

A party was going on, but John Seymour wasn't there. Instead, the former U.S. senator from California sat in his home watching TV images of his erstwhile colleagues back in Washington flash by during a presidential address to Congress. There was a tug of nostalgia, a wistful moment--but no remorse. "I said to my wife, 'It's good in a lot of ways to be out of there,' " Seymour recalled. "It's a chapter of my life that's written and done."

Former state Sen. Alan Robbins testified Wednesday that he and lobbyist Clay Jackson in 1991 discussed persuading then-U. S. Sen. John Seymour to use his influence to derail the prospective appointment of a tough U.S. attorney who would probably prosecute Robbins. Robbins said the strategy was discussed at a "series of meetings" between him and Jackson.

U.S. Sen. John Seymour is scheduled to be the featured speaker at a small reception in Oxnard on Friday evening, sponsored by a Ventura County Republican group. The Lincoln Club, a political support group for county Republicans, has arranged for Seymour to meet with about 50 Republicans from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Tower Club, 300 Esplanade Drive. Reservations are required for the $15-per-person event and can be made by calling 527-7262.

Saying time is running out for Congress to pass a landmark California desert protection bill this year, Sen. Alan Cranston (D-California) on Monday sent a blunt warning to Republican colleague John Seymour: "Don't be a spoiler." Seymour responded by accusing Cranston of engaging in "election-year politics."

U.S. Sen. John Seymour and Environmental Protection Administration chief William K. Reilly assured a group of Southern California business leaders Thursday that they will work to ease the economic effect of environmental controls on business and industry. That does not necessarily mean any lessening of environmental standards, Reilly added, when he and Seymour (R-Calif.) briefed reporters after the private breakfast meeting with about 15 business executives.

Republican John Seymour formally opened his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday by acknowledging that Californians don't know much about him even though he has served in the Senate by appointment for more than a year.

When William E. Cooper, a politically well-connected real estate investor, bought politician John Seymour's real estate brokerage in 1981, he said he hoped to emulate the giants of Wall Street finance. This may not be what he had in mind. Federal investigators revealed Friday that First Pension Corp., Cooper's Orange County pension management firm, may have lost or misappropriated as much as $124 million in client funds.

In a hilly section of this affluent town, William E. Cooper bought a 3,400-square-foot house in a gated community by raising money the same way he did in business. He got it from investors. Those who helped by lending him money were eventually paid back. But 8,000 investors are wondering if they will recoup $350 million they put into the labyrinth of companies under Cooper's First Diversified Financial Services in Irvine. Cooper's First Pension Corp.

Former state Sen. Alan Robbins testified Wednesday that he and lobbyist Clay Jackson in 1991 discussed persuading then-U. S. Sen. John Seymour to use his influence to derail the prospective appointment of a tough U.S. attorney who would probably prosecute Robbins. Robbins said the strategy was discussed at a "series of meetings" between him and Jackson.

A party was going on, but John Seymour wasn't there. Instead, the former U.S. senator from California sat in his home watching TV images of his erstwhile colleagues back in Washington flash by during a presidential address to Congress. There was a tug of nostalgia, a wistful moment--but no remorse. "I said to my wife, 'It's good in a lot of ways to be out of there,' " Seymour recalled. "It's a chapter of my life that's written and done."

A party was going on, but John Seymour wasn't there. Instead, the former U.S. senator from California was home watching TV images of his erstwhile colleagues back in Washington flash by during a presidential address to Congress. There was a tug of nostalgia, a wistful moment--but no remorse. "I said to my wife: It's good in a lot of ways to be out of there," Seymour recalled. "It's a chapter of my life that's written and done."

Former Republican U.S. Sen. John Seymour, defeated for election by Dianne Feinstein last month, was appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson on Monday to direct the state's $5-billion loan program for low- and moderate-income housing. As executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency, Seymour, subject to expected routine confirmation by the state Senate, will be paid $98,076 a year, which reflects a 5% salary cut the governor has urged his appointees to take in tough economic times.

Republican Bruce Herschensohn's final surrender in the U.S. Senate race came in the early morning Wednesday, when he phoned opponent Barbara Boxer and congratulated her on her win. By 2 a.m., late returns from heavily Democratic San Francisco had come in, and by then the man who was the Republicans' last chance to win one of California's two Senate seats was knocked out of the game.

By the time a dejected John Seymour conceded defeat to Dianne Feinstein late Tuesday and made the long walk through a gantlet of reporters into private life, the longtime Orange County politician was talking about public office in the past tense. "Oh, there are a lot of exciting things to do," he said about his future plans. "I had a life before politics. I was in business for 17 years and now I've had a very successful career in politics. "Maybe I'll do some teaching."

When Californians elected Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer on Tuesday, the issues uppermost in their minds were abortion rights, the scarcity of women in the U.S. Senate, the need for change in Washington and environmental concerns, according to a Times exit poll. Republicans Bruce Herschensohn and Sen. John Seymour, on the other hand, drew support from the GOP standby of opposition to "taxes and spending," plus, to a lesser degree, images of honesty and integrity.

Democrat Dianne Feinstein became California's first woman U.S. senator Tuesday by defeating incumbent Republican John Seymour, and her ticket mate, Rep. Barbara Boxer, claimed victory in her race for the second U.S. Senate seat at stake in the historic election.