San Diego

City Atty. John Witt’s office will indefinitely delay releasing the results of its investigation into Councilwoman Linda Bernhardt’s campaign debt while Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller’s office completes a separate probe of the embattled 5th District council member, a city attorney said Monday.

Senior Chief Deputy City Atty. Stuart H. Swett said that Miller’s office requested the postponement last Wednesday to allow it to complete its own investigation of Bernhardt, who also faces a scheduled recall election next spring.

Swett has been examining whether Bernhardt’s outstanding campaign debt of more than $50,000 to former political consultant Rick Taylor and a printer of campaign literature violates a city law prohibiting debts to vendors for more than 30 days. Bernhardt believes the law is “unenforceable” and “unconstitutional.”

Miller’s office is conducting what appears to be a wide-ranging investigation of Bernhardt, focusing on, among other matters, her campaign finances and Taylor’s contract with the developer of a major housing project in Bernhardt’s former council district. Miller’s spokesman has confirmed that the district attorney is conducting the probe, but will not elaborate on the matters under review.

Bernhardt said Monday that the postponement is “good news for me” because it indicates that Miller’s office is expediting its investigation. “What it looks like is the D.A. will wrap up his investigation,” she said. Claiming that she has nothing to hide, Bernhardt has challenged Miller to interview her and has offered to open her records to his investigator.

Swett said that “I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but I don’t think it’s going to be a long time,” until Miller’s office completes its investigation. A spokeswoman for Miller declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.