Bane Seeking Reelection to Assembly Despite Controversy

State Assemblyman Tom Bane (D-Tarzana) said Thursday he plans to seek reelection in 1990 to his ninth consecutive term, confident he can blunt the political impact of a controversy over his administration of a medical foundation.

The 76-year-old Bane, who chairs the powerful Assembly Rules Committee, rated his reelection prospects as “very good.” In his 1988 reelection race, he beat Republican Bruce Dahl with nearly 73% of the vote.

But Bane acknowledged he “wasn’t helped” politically by a months-long controversy earlier this year over his operation of a national lupus foundation and his wife’s role as chairwoman of the state lupus appropriations board.

Last June, a coalition of lupus support groups asked the state attorney general’s office to investigate the state board’s allocation of $800,000 to a physician friend of the Banes, claiming the doctor improperly carried out state lupus research contracts. The groups also asked that the assets of the National Lupus Erythematous Foundation be frozen, saying the foundation was not providing funding for lupus research or patient services.

However, state investigators in November concluded that money was not misspent by the state lupus board. They also said funds had not been improperly spent by the foundation, although they recommended it be disbanded due to inactivity.

To date, no other Democrat or Republican has announced plans to challenge Bane next year.

Bane said he plans to mail copies of newspaper articles about the attorney general’s findings to all constituents who complained to him by phone or mail after the controversy surfaced.