Judge Cancels Warrant for Councilwoman

The arrest warrant issued for City Councilwoman Lyn Gillespie was recalled Tuesday after she appeared before a judge to discuss money she owes to her former campaign manager.

Gillespie did not have time to comment on the matter before Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, but she did say her 1988 Ford Bronco had been repossessed earlier that day in connection with the legal dispute.

Harvey Englander, president of the Costa Mesa-based Campaign Management Inc., said Gillespie owes him $16,000 for work he did on her successful 1988 council campaign, including interest and legal expenses.

After Gillespie failed to appear at a recent court hearing concerning the debt, Orange County Municipal Judge Michael Beecher issued a warrant for her arrest.

By court order, Englander is receiving $105 of Gillespie’s $500-a-month council salary as payment toward the debt.

Gillespie, 35, said that she has been found to have the Epstein-Barr virus, or chronic fatigue syndrome, and that her doctor has advised her to avoid the stress of court appearances. She called Englander’s legal tactics “harassment.”

Englander claims she has used the illness as an excuse to avoid court appearances.