Cost of Bradley’s Legal Defense Nears $1 Million

The cost of Mayor Tom Bradley’s legal defense bills in connection with a series of conflict-of-interest investigations is approaching $1 million, according to a fund-raising report released Friday.

During the last half of 1990, Bradley incurred $179,571 in attorney’s fees, the report said. The latest figure brings the mayor’s total legal tab to more than $930,000.

Taking advantage of a federal court ruling in September that struck down $1,000 limits on political donations by individuals, the mayor raised $444,889 between July and December of last year. By comparison, Bradley raised $140,400 during the first six months of 1990.

The report on fund-raising activity revealed that Bradley paid $230,000 in legal fees and owed an additional $260,420 as of Dec. 31, 1990.

The mayor established an officeholder committee in mid-1989 to raise money for his legal defense fund. By then, at least six public agencies had initiated inquiries into Bradley’s personal stock dealings and whether he had used his official position to steer taxpayer money to business associates.

Bradley faces an ongoing federal grand jury investigation into his personal and political financial dealings.

The largest contributions to Bradley’s officeholder account came from Kaiser International Corp., which gave $11,000, and Occidental Petroleum Corp., which contributed $10,000. Donations of $6,000 were made by Howard Hughes Properties, Dynamic Builders Inc. and attorney Melanie Lomax, whom Bradley appointed to the Police Commission last year.

By far the largest fund-raiser was Art Lumer, a businessman with L & R Investment Co. who raised $44,301 for Bradley during the last half of 1990. Bradley spokesman Bill Chandler said he had never heard of Lumer before the reports were filed this week.