Friday, November 20, 2009
Page 1
‘No Air to Clear’ on Delgadillo Flier, Trutanich Says
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said yesterday, through an intermediary, that he wants to talk over with current City Attorney Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich a disagreement about a campaign flier—but it appeared unlikely that Trutanich would agree to meet with him.
Kam Kuwata, a consultant in Delgadillo’s bid for the 2010 Democratic nomination for attorney general, said Delgadillo thought he was justified in putting out a flier saying that Trutanich would be a “special guest” at his Dec. 1 fundraiser. The city attorney, he insisted, had made a “commitment” to be there.
Trutanich on Tuesday distanced himself from the flier.
Kuwata said that Delgadillo placed two calls to Trutanich on Tuesday, in hopes of “clearing the air” as to their differing recollections of a conversation a week earlier, but that the city attorney has not gotten back to him.
Trutanich told the MetNews:
“At this point, there’s no air to clear, as far as I’m concerned.”
The city attorney recounted that Delgadillo expressed concern, at a meeting over coffee, that some of the deputies were in fear of retaliation if they backed him in the race. Trutanich said he responded: “I don’t do that.”
He related that he authorized use of his name in assuring would-be supporters that there would be no recriminations.
Trutanich said that Delgadillo asked him to stop by the Dec. 1 fundraising event, and he told him: “I’ll try to make it.”
As he sized it up: “I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal.”
He said he did not authorize use of his name in connection with advertising the fundraiser.
The flier says:
“Friends of Rocky with special guest
Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich
Cordially invite you to a reception in support of
Rocky Delgadillo
“I’m not endorsing Rocky.” Trutanich declared. “That flier looks like I’m endorsing Rocky.”
He recited that when he saw the flier, his reaction was: “That’s not accurate, that’s not true.”
Kuwata remarked:
“There’s no great injury. Everything can be cleared up.”
But that, he said, requires a “principal-to-principal” discussion.
Former Los Angeles District Attorney Robert H. Philibosian, who was co-chair of Trutanich’s transition team, said he can understand why Trutanich does not want to talk with his predecessor, commenting:
“My father had a saying: ‘Once burnt, twice shy.’ ”
Delgadillo did not return a phone call from the MetNews nor respond to an e-mail seeking comments.
Copyright 2009, Metropolitan News Company