Schabarum Cuts a Wide Swath With His Dollars

In the last five years, County Supervisor Pete Schabarum has been quietly trying to extend his influence in California Republican politics by scattering hundreds of thousands of dollars to candidates and causes far beyond the borders of his own Los Angeles County district.

And, more importantly to potential recipients with tight campaign budgets, it is likely that Schabarum will continue to divert money their way because he has no immediate reason to spend it on himself. Schabarum is unopposed on the June 3 ballot for a fourth term to the 655-square-mile eastern county district that he has represented since then-Gov. Ronald Reagan appointed him in 1972.

On the same ballot is Supervisor Ed Edelman, who faces three relatively unknown and poorly financed opponents in what will probably be an easy bid for his fourth term. Edelman, like Schabarum, is a candidate in a safe race who nevertheless commands a hefty campaign fund. His total of $931,000, however, is more than double the amount Schabarum has on hand, according to recently filed campaign reports.

Edelman, who has not faced a difficult reelection challenge since he first won the seat in 1974, acted blase about the upcoming campaign. Now that a feared challenge from a Latino candidate has failed to materialize, he said in an interview, he expects to spend no more than a tiny fraction of his reelection funds. He contended that his popularity will guarantee him a June primary victory in his district, which covers parts of the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, Hollywood and East Los Angeles.

Shuns Other Posts

“We might take a poll,” Edelman said in summing up his campaign plans. He added that he would not seek any other office in the future.

Schabarum, on the other hand, is busy despite his early victory. He has nearly $450,000 in the bank and is expected to amass tens of thousands more in several planned fund-raisers, including a $175-a-plate dinner next month at the Bonaventure that is likely to attract more than a thousand people.

For the most part, Schabarum is vague about exactly where he will direct his spare campaign funds in this election year. Since Jan. 1, only two candidates have received Schabarum funds.

But in an interview, Schabarum made it clear that he intends to continue sprinkling his money among conservative causes and candidates--and why.

“I see myself in a role of having some influence on matters of concern in this state and as they apply to L.A. County,” said Schabarum. “I want to have a role and the bigger the better.”

A Times examination of Schabarum campaign contributions funneled through his Alliance for Representative Government political action committee shows that the outspoken county supervisor has, in effect, put his money where his mouth is.

Spent Nearly $450,000

Since 1980, when he helped fashion the Board of Supervisors’ conservative majority by pumping more than $100,000 into the come-from-behind victories of Deane Dana and Mike Antonovich, Schabarum has spent nearly $450,000 on more than 60 legislative and local campaigns. Most Schabarum beneficiaries share his Republican registration, but other contributions strayed from partisan considerations when the choice came down to a conservative or a liberal Democrat.

“I think partisanship, quite frankly, is a negative to our democratic process,” Schabarum said. “The idea that the ones who are in are the advocates and the minority is the critic; I think it’s a bunch of nonsense that forecloses reasonable solutions.” He said his strategy as a political backer is to identify an “appropriate course of action, and having made that choice, see what I can do to get support for it . . . from any persuasion.”

Schabarum said he formed his political action committee so that there would be no question that money contributed to him may wind up going to others.

“I am very sensitive about folks being promoted under the guise of me when in effect it might be in support (of some other candidate),” Schabarum explained. Contributors are told, he said, that the Alliance for Representative Government funds “are not necessarily going to be devoted to my reelection.”

More than two dozen state Assembly and Senate candidates up and down the state have benefited from Schabarum’s hefty campaign stockpile at critical periods in their campaigns. Schabarum seems to accept the financial uncertainties of his investments. Asked if he expects ever to see the money again after extending a no-interest loan to a losing campaign, he shrugged and said, “Would you? We do the best we can.”

The amount Schabarum has directed toward legislative races over the last five years--$175,000--is considerably less than that given by Republican legislative leaders who have the key job of raising money for Senate or Assembly colleagues. At the same time, that amount--combined with a $20,000 check to the state GOP--could well be the most given anywhere in California by a local Republican elected official to campaigns for the Legislature, according to Republican Party officials.

Outspent Two Others

Schabarum’s contributions, for example, eclipse the $108,389 given by fellow conservative supervisors Antonovich--who last year chaired the state GOP Central Committee--and Dana, who gave a handful of legislative candidates and Gov. George Deukmejian a total of $32,500.

Schabarum’s contributions to state campaigns also far outdistance those of other better-known local office holders such as Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles ($5,000) and San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein ($2,100).

Schabarum’s largest single contribution to a candidate, $30,000, went to Republican Al Miller, who tried and failed in 1982 to unseat then incumbent Terry Goggin (D-San Bernardino) in the 66th Assembly District. His largest overall check was written for $48,841 to backers of a 1983 statewide court reform initiative that failed to qualify for the ballot.

Lynn Bryan, a professional GOP fund-raiser and finance director for the Republican Senate political action committee, said Schabarum’s willingness to pump sizable chunks of money into state races has become well known throughout California.

“Pete is called (upon for contributions) by a good number of people up and down the state,” said Bryan, adding that in some low-budget campaigns where Schabarum is involved, “Pete in his own way becomes a power broker in those races. (His money) makes a difference in those cases.”

Variety of Efforts

An additional $250,000 of Schabarum’s campaign funds have made their way into a variety of local efforts. Last year, he gave $2,500 to Los Angeles City Councilman John Ferraro’s losing mayoral bid and in 1984 he spent nearly $23,000 in a losing effort to help Dist. Atty. Robert Philibosian keep his job. Even several candidates for the Yorba Linda City Council wound up with money from Schabarum.

In recent weeks, Schabarum loaned $29,000 to the California Lincoln Club, a political action group that raises money for conservative local candidates. Asked if other local officials had helped the group, a Lincoln Club official mused, “Don’t I wish.” The official said the club is aiming much of its money this year at support for candidates for Municipal and Superior court posts. He added, however, that Schabarum did not condition his loan on the committee supporting any specific candidates with it, a contention Schabarum confirmed.

Schabarum has been able to raise substantial amounts of money over the years by tapping into a wellspring of wealthy contributors. As an indication of Schabarum’s fund-raising prowess, the $445,313 he has diverted to other campaigns was equal to the amount given by only the top 30 or so of his nearly 1,300 contributors since Jan. 1, 1981.

Schabarum was once a rising star in the Republican Party, to the point of being mentioned years ago as a potential candidate for governor. He also thought enough of his own talents to actively seek the Reagan Cabinet post now held by Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole. Now, at 57, Schabarum apparently has resigned himself to finishing out his political life on the governing board of the state’s largest county.

‘Not a Political Animal’

“I’m not a political animal to the point that I want to go through all the politics involved in getting elected to the other two better jobs than the one I sit in . . . U.S. Senate and/or governor,” Schabarum said.

Although content to remain a supervisor concerned primarily with county affairs, Schabarum rarely passes up a chance to take a swipe at the Democratic-controlled Legislature in which he served from 1966 until his appointment to the board in 1972. California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and the high court’s liberal majority are other favorite Schabarum targets.

“My stance as far as the Legislature . . . is that if the Legislature wants to prune our bucks, then they ought to lift the mandates,” said Schabarum in a version of a frequent board complaint.

As for the Supreme Court, he has hinted that he will provide another financial boost to the conservative-backed bid to unseat Bird and three of her liberal associate justice colleagues. Last year, he gave $5,000 to the dump-Bird effort.

Controversial Decision

Schabarum blames the Bird court for blocking what to the supervisor was a likely GOP return to majority control in Sacramento that Republicans have not enjoyed since 1970, two years before Schabarum left the Assembly. Schabarum cited a controversial reapportionment decision by the state Supreme Court as a key reason he is working to oust Bird, while at the same time contributing to Republican candidates vying to unseat Democratic lawmakers.

“Truly a reasonable assignment of district lines would result in a Republican majority in the Legislature in a couple of terms,” Schabarum said. “But I don’t see that happening until . . . the Supreme Court gets off its partisan stance and a Republican governor sits in the veto seat during the next reapportionment.

“Right now there’s no chance at all (of a GOP majority),” Schabarum said. “(Assemblyman Don) Sebastiani (R-Sonoma) gets an initiative approved (in 1982) and the first thing you know, the Supreme Court shoots him right out of the barrel. Anything of that nature that has a non-Democratic bias to it is going to get tubed by that Supreme Court. It’s as simple as that.”

As for how he decides which candidates or causes receive money from his campaign treasury, Schabarum said he bases his selections on “what the polls say, what the party leadership says, what the opponents say, what the media says, some gut instincts and some frivolous wishes.”

Gives to States’ Races

Supervisor Edelman, in sharp contrast to Schabarum, has contributed $33,750 to campaigns for state offices while giving nearly an equal amount to local efforts and congressional races both in California and in other states.

Asked if he will use any of his bulging surplus to help fellow Democrats this year, Edelman said: “I certainly support candidates that have some of the same views that I have on issues, but I haven’t done it in a large way. I don’t think that’s always possible.

“I haven’t made it a practice to be in the business of bankrolling candidates,” Edelman said. “I’m not planning to do it any differently than I have in the past.”

According to the most recent campaign statements filed last week, Edelman has so far this election year given to only one candidate, Assembly hopeful Richard Polanco, who is trying to fill the vacancy created by Richard Alatorre’s election to the Los Angeles City Council.

Polanco received $600 from Edelman’s $931,000 campaign kitty.

Times researcher Cherry Gee contributed to this article.

CONTRIBUTIONS/LOANS FROM SCHABARUM

To candidates or issues, Jan. 1,1981 to March 17,1986.

Year/ Amount Recipient Seeking Received 1986 Jim Beam Orange County Supervisor $25,000 California Lincoln Club Local Races 29,500 1985 L.A. City Councilman John Ferraro L.A. Mayor 2,500 Crime Victims for Court Reform Oppose Chief Justice Bird 5,000 1984 County Proposition B Supervisor Salary Hike 2,000 California Republican Party n/a 20,000 Doug Wilhoit (R) State Assembly 5,000 John Carpenter (R) State Assembly 5,000 Danny Walsh (R) State Assembly 5,000 Gil Olivarria (R) State Assembly 5,000 Dick Longshore (R) State Assembly 5,000 Becky Morgan (R) State Senate 5,000 Don Rogers (R) State Assembly 5,000 William Filante (R) State Assembly 5,000 Don Sebastiani (R) State Assembly 10,000 Robert Philibosian L.A. District Attorney 22,882 Tim Leslie (R) State Senate 5,000 Assembly Republicans (ARPAC) Assembly Races 5,000 Cathie Wright (R) State Assembly 5,000 Senate Republican PAC Senate Races 5,000 Assembly Republican PAC Assembly Races 5,000 1983 Citizens for Better Public Safety Through Court Reform Initiative Campaign 43,841 1982 Steven Weeks L.A. County Assessor 25,000 Joseph Montoya (D) State Senate 5,000 Citizens to Keep Government Working Anti-Strike Ballot Measure 35,000 Charles Bader (R) State Assembly 15,000 Cathie Wright (R) State Assembly 5,000 John Stanton (R) State Assembly 15,000 Ed Royce (R) State Senate 2,000 Don Rogers (R) State Assembly 5,000 Marian LaFollette (R) State Assembly 5,000 Charles Imbrecht (R) State Senate 2,000 Doris Allen (R) State Assembly 10,000 Deane Dana L.A. Board of Supervisors 24,800 Al Miller (R) State Assembly 30,000 Oscar Wright (R) State Senate 2,500 Assembly Republican Pac Assembly Races 5,000 1981 Steven Weeks L.A. City Controller 5,000 All contributions $1,000 and under 18,650 Total $435,673

SCHABARUM’S TOP 25 CONTRIBUTORS

Jan. 1,1981 to March 17, 1986. Includes contributions made to Schabarum’s political action committee, the Alliance for Representative Government.

Contributor Amount Occupation The Adamson Companies $23,750 Developer William Lyon Co. 22,955 Developer Lind & Hillerud, Inc. 19,500 Engineering The Holden Group 19,500 Investments In-n-Out Burgers, Inc. 19,400 Food Summa Corp. 18,400 Developer Diamond Bar Development Corp. 18,000 Developer Lusk Family of Companies 17,100 Developer Watt Pac, Inc. 16,000 Developer Alles, Maxy Pope 15,875 Retired/housewife Anden Group 15,500 Developer Newhall Land & Farming 15,500 Developer Shapell Industries, Inc. 14,150 Construction R&B; Enterprises 14,000 Developer Memel, Jacobs, Spierno, Gersh 12,900 Law Urbatec Investments 12,750 Investments Union Oil Co. 12,500 Oil Kasparian, Robert 12,000 Food Cahill Ltd. 11,800 Garments Shea Homes 11,300 Developer United Cable Television 11,200 Cable tv Watson Land Co. 10,600 Developer Ron Kranzer & Associates 10,600 Engineering American Savings & Loan 10,000 Savings & loan Montevideo Country Club Corp. 10,000 Developer Total $375,200

(representing 21% of $1,789,967 raised from 1,291 contributors)

CONTRIBUTIONS/LOANS FROM EDELMAN

To candidates or issues, Jan.1, 1981 to March 17,1986.

Year/ Amount Recipient Seeking Received 1985 Alexander Pope L.A. County Supervisor (1984) 5,000 Elizabeth Ginsberg L.A. Board of Education 2,000 1984 Anthony Beilenson (D) Congress 4,000 Proposition 36 (opposition) Tax Limitation 3,000 Proposition 39 (opposition) Reapportionment 15,000 Proposition 41 (opposition) Welfare Reform 5,000 Assembly Democrats Assembly Races 5,000 California Victory Fund n/a 2,000 United Democratic Campaign Committee n/a 1,500 California Democratic Party n/a 1,250 1982 Richard Katz (D) State Assembly 1,500 Jack Watson (D) Governor (Georgia) 1,500 All contributions $1,000 and under 15,912 Total $62,662

EDELMAN’S TOP 25 CONTRIBUTORS

Jan. 1, 1981 to March 17, 1986

Contributor Amount Occupation UAW Region 6 PAC $15,500 Union PAC Field, Frederick 10,500 Entertainment Assoc. LA Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) 9,000 Employees California Outdoor Advertising PAC 9,000 Advertising Carter, Hawley Hale Stores 9,000 Retail Kenneth A. Ruby Co. 9,000 Construction Los Angeles County Firefighters 9,000 Employees Los Angeles County Physicians 9,000 Employees Maguire/Thomas Partners 9,000 Developer Memel, Jacobs, Pierno & Gersh 9,000 Law Su Corporation 9,000 Developer Van Patten & Holen 9,000 Law State & Local Citizenship 8,500 Utilities PAC Price, David G. 7,500 Real estate Standard Cabinet Works 7,300 Retail O’Melveny & Myers 6,900 Law Gruen Associates 6,900 Architects Atlantic Richfield 6,600 Oil Los Angeles County Probation Officers 6,550 Employees California Conference Board PAC 6,500 Union City National Corporation 6,500 Investments Gilbert,Arthur 6,500 Real estate The Holden Group 6,500 Investments La Reina, Inc. 6,500 Food Leo A. Daly 6,500 Architect Total $197,950

(representing 18% of $1,083,879 raised from 1,011 contributors)