Robbins Drops Bid for License

Former state Sen. Alan Robbins has decided not to seek the reinstatement of his real estate license, which was stripped by state officials earlier this year because of his conviction for political corruption.

State Real Estate Commissioner Clark Wallace ruled in March that Robbins’ license should be revoked because his crimes went to the heart of honesty and moral turpitude.

Robbins spent more than a year in a federal prison in Lompoc after pleading guilty in 1992 to using his Van Nuys Senate seat to extort money from people seeking legislative favors.

After being released from a Hollywood halfway house this spring, Robbins filed a petition seeking to recover the real estate license. But his attorneys withdrew the appeal without explanation in advance of Wednesday’s hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert O’Brien.

In legal documents, Robbins argued economic hardship and asked for at least a restrictive license that would have allowed him to perform limited transactions. Robbins, who amassed his wealth through real estate deals, has argued that without the license he will be unable to repay the approximately $4 million he owes the federal government.

“It doesn’t seem fair that, after I’ve paid my price for the things I did that were illegal, that I would be punished further by the state Department of Real Estate,” Robbins said in an earlier interview with The Times.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Philip Griffin said Robbins’ attorneys would have had a difficult time recovering the license through appeal unless they uncovered an error in law or abuse of discretion. But Robbins could still recover the license by waiting two years and reapplying.