Councilman’s campaign off to a rocky start
OCEAN PARK — With angry picketers stationed outside, City Councilman Mike Feinstein began amassing a war chest for his reelection bid this November at a weekend fundraiser.
Two of Feinstein’s fellow Green Party members carried signs out front that read, “Full Disclosure Now” and “Stop Misbehaving.” Feinstein has been at odds with Green Party leaders for more than three years over as much as $40,000 in political donations he has refused to account for.
“I don’t feel that he can be trusted,” said picketer and local Green Party official Joe Crompton, who handed out fliers and spoke with people attending the fundraiser. “I found out about the fundraiser and I figured a little bit of direct action would be good.”
Dozens of people attended the Saturday afternoon event at Seventh Street and Ashland Avenue, contributing up to $250 apiece. Feinstein is one of four council members whose terms expire this November, and the first to establish a fundraising organization and solicit campaign contributions.
“I’ve learned a lot on the Council over the past seven-plus years, including serving two years as mayor,” Feinstein said in a Monday press release. “But I think it’s critical, as I seek reelection, that I re-engage myself with people on a block-by-block, neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.”
The dispute between Feinstein and Green Party officials centers around tens of thousands of dollars in donations made out to the county and state Green Parties that Feinstein deposited into a bank account that he controlled. Some say Feinstein is a pioneer for the Feinstein’s dispute reached a new impasse last week when he met with state Green Party officials to discuss the matter. According to his friends, talks dissolved as a result of Feinstein’s failure to produce his bank records. Feinstein didn’t return calls seeking comment.
“Mr. Feinstein went to the Green Party (convention) in Sacramento last week — he went there and he was ready for the mediation,” said Sara Amir, a local Green Party official. “This has been very contentious. It’s been very divisive. Michael Feinstein has done so much for the party — as a leader, as someone with vision... I think this is hurting everybody and I wish it would go away.”
Part of the money in question was used to pay for a local Green Party office on Pico Boulevard. The dispute has centered around what the balance is, and Feinstein’s refusal to share records.
After investigating the matter earlier this year, prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against Feinstein, adding it appeared the money was spent on Green Party business. Party officials still want Feinstein to open up his books, saying the money must be accounted for under law.
Several county Green Party officials were angered when Feinstein participated in a vote earlier this year to drop a small claims lawsuit against himself. As a County Council member of the Green Party of Los Angeles County, Feinstein was both the plaintiff and the defendant in the small claims action.
“Mike voting to drop a lawsuit against Mike for money Mike took and won’t give back seems like it might be considered a conflict of interest,” said County Councilwoman Gabrielle Weeks.
Officials from the Green Party of California were scheduled to discuss the matter in a private teleconference Monday evening. Spokeswoman Beth Moore Haines said the party hopes to resolve the matter through mediation, adding they’re trying hard to keep the dispute internal.
“I’ve known Mike for 14 years,” she added. “I know he’s done a tremendous amount to build the party, and I also know he’s not the best bookkeeping type of guy — which I think he would admit.”
Some Green Party leaders described the ongoing dispute as a “bad Mexican soap opera.” Others called it simply “unfortunate,” adding it’s driven a wedge into the underdog party.
Fellow City Councilman and Green Party member Kevin McKeown, who sits on the steering committee for the Green Party of California, said Greens are willing to work with Feinstein, but added he must hand over the bank records — to show both how much money was taken and where it was spent. Feinstein deposited donations for both the county and state Green Parties into his bank account.
“The Green Party of California has been trying to get the records appropriately reported for more than three years,” McKeown said. “Where we stand is that we still do not have the bank records. We still feel that those records, by law, have to be reported under the political reform act.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 15, 2004. Read the original PDF.