Bernson’s Campaign Funding Questioned : Politics: Common Cause says the councilman’s committee, formed to back a possible bid for lieutenant governor in 1994, was created ‘to get around the city’s campaign laws.’

A political watchdog group said Friday it will again ask authorities to review the activities of a controversial political committee that Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson said he plans to disband.

Lisa Foster, executive director of California Common Cause, said Bernson’s decision to shut down his Bernson for Lt. Governor 1994 Committee only underscores questions Common Cause has had about the committee, which began raising money in early 1989.

“We’ve been saying for a long time that he had no intention to run for lieutenant governor,” Foster said. “He set up the committee to get around the city’s campaign laws.” Common Cause is a group concerned with campaign finance issues.

“Now that he’s closed the committee, it may be time to revisit the question,” Foster said. “I think it merits a second look by the city attorney’s office.”

Bernson, who has represented the north San Fernando Valley since 1979, denied Friday that establishing the committee was a ruse designed to avoid a City Charter section forbidding council members from raising funds in excess of $500 from any individual with the intent of spending the money to get reelected. The committee raised $179,525 for Bernson.

“We never had any problem with money, so we didn’t need to raise money” in violation of the law, Bernson said in an interview Friday.

Bernson also said he was always serious about “exploring the possibility of running for lieutenant governor.”

“It’s not something I want to pursue now,” he added. “My work is here in Los Angeles and I want to complete some of the things I’ve started.” Bernson, whose term expires June 30, 1991, said he intends to seek reelection next spring.

The lawmaker also said the city attorney’s office, state Fair Political Practices Commission and state attorney general’s office had reviewed complaints previously lodged with them by Common Cause. “All of them took a look at it and found everything was lawful and proper,” Bernson said.

A review of the reports filed by the committee show that 73%, or $130,500, of the $179,525 raised by the committee was raised from individuals contributing more than $500 each. Contributions of this size are not permitted under the city’s campaign law if spent to help a council member seek reelection. The reports say $29,800 was spent for a fund-raising banquet at the Sheraton Universal Hotel and another $17,114 for related fund-raising expenses. About $11,400 went for dinners with constituents and supporters. Of $17,235 labeled as “contributions” in the reports, $10,185 was given to charitable groups--Boy Scouts, Jewish temples, YMCA--that were listed in Bernson’s report as having an address in the San Fernando Valley. Last year, Common Cause contended that many of the expenditures made by the committee would help Bernson win reelection to his council seat and expressed doubts that much would be spent outside the district in a race for lieutenant governor. Bernson, however, said he was “very careful” about how the committee’s funds were spent. “I’d say most of the money was spent outside the district,” he said. But pressed about details, he said, “I’m not going to get into an accounting of it.” The committee has a surplus of “about $40,000,” Bernson said. As of June 30 of this year, when it last disclosed its financial affairs, the committee had cash on hand of $55,721.09.

Bernson said the surplus will be transferred to another of his political committees--but not to the committee he will tap for his reelection expenses.