Campbell accuses Maddox of ‘secret deal’ with Democrats

Alicia Robinson

During election season, campaign literature is like ice in

Antarctica.

But one piece being sent by Republican and 35th District Senate

seat hopeful John Campbell is an eyebrow raiser that alleges a

questionable financial link between his primary election opponent,

Republican Ken Maddox, and Assembly Democrats.

The mailer says the 68th District Assemblyman’s district director

Janet Nguyen has been paid since early 2003 by the Democratic Caucus.

The mailer also alleges Maddox cut a “secret deal” with Democrats to

get Nguyen’s salary paid.

“The significance is that this is similar to what Doris Allen or

Jim Jeffords did,” said Campbell, currently the 70th District

Assemblyman. “He is secretly working and getting help from the other

side while hiding it from his fellow Republicans and it’s very

unusual.”

Maddox said it’s true that his advisor has been paid by the

Democratic Caucus, but the explanation is more innocuous than

Campbell suggests and he didn’t cut any deals to get the money.

“What happened was I had my budget cut roughly $40,000,” Maddox

said. “I didn’t want to have to fire Janet, she’s an outstanding

employee. So I asked that her salary be carried for a while.”

Nguyen’s salary was paid by the Assembly Democratic Caucus from

September 2002 through at least November 2003, a spokeswoman at the

state controller’s office said. Records beyond November are not

currently available. The spokeswoman said Nguyen received about

$2,400 a month.

“There’s clearly no deal since I’ve never given [Democrats] a vote

on any key matter,” Maddox said.

Campbell said his budget and the budgets of some other legislators

were cut also, but no Republicans other than Maddox got money from

Democratic Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson.

Maddox could have asked Assembly GOP leaders for the money to pay

Nguyen, Campbell said.

“The Republican leaders knew nothing about this,” he said.

With low turnout predicted for the March 2 primary and the

staunchest of Republicans expected to vote in Orange County

districts, the alleged link with Democrats could hurt Maddox or at

least be annoying for him to explain, UC Irvine political science

professor Mark Petracca said.

“They’re trying to out-right-wing each other, so if one or the

other of them can tarnish the other by saying they’re in league with

the Democrats, you might as well say they’re in league with Satan,”

he said.

Petracca said this situation is totally different than what

happened with Doris Allen, a Republican recalled by Orange County

voters in 1995 after she enraged GOP colleagues by making a deal with

Democrats to elect her assembly speaker.

“What Maddox did is politically clever,” Petracca said. “He got

the Democrats to pay for Republican staff. The Republicans should be

applauding him.”

He also pointed out that both assembly caucuses’ budgets come from

public funds.

While the effect, if any, of the mailer remains to be seen,

Petracca said in election season it’s par for the course.

“My guess is, don’t worry, you’ll see worse coming,” he said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.