CITY INVESTIGATING CAMPAIGN FLIER; LEDERER ADMITS PAYING FOR MAILER ATTACKING DEL CAMPO.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

The Thousand Oaks City Attorney's Office launched an investigation Thursday into the latest campaign contributions of pizza queen Jill Lederer, who admitted to spending $1,803 to print and distribute a flier attacking City Council candidate Dan Del Campo and his slow-growth allies.

The day after Del Campo filed a formal complaint with the city alleging that Lederer violated the city's campaign finance law by failing to disclose her contributions, the Thousand Oaks businesswoman filed a full disclosure form with the City Clerk's Office on Thursday.

Despite Thursday's filing, however, Lederer still might have violated the city's campaign finance law by failing to file within 10 days following her decision to spend more than $500 on a cause related to the campaign, and she might have violated state law by failing to file an expenditure of more than $1,000.

``We will refer this matter to the city code compliance department for investigation,'' said Tim Giles, deputy city attorney.

The forms show Lederer spent $203 to print the flier and an additional $1,600 to distribute it throughout the city. The forms also show that the $1,803 was paid out on behalf of Jim Henson, who claims to have authored the flier.

Henson filed a separate disclosure form under the committee name Citizens Who Care late Thursday, showing Lederer had lent him the money.

Henson, a Thousand Oaks resident and supporter of last year's failed recall campaign, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Lederer continues to refuse comment except for a prepared statement released Wednesday in which she said she stands behind the sentiments expressed in the flier.

``She is busy running her business right now. She has said all she is willing to say,'' an office manager representing Lederer at her Rancho Road office told the Daily News.

The two-sided leaflet circulated to households in much of Thousand Oaks attacks Del Campo and his two running mates on the Clean Sweep slate. The flier blasts his involvement with a homeowners association and personally attacks some of his supporters.

Del Campo, who called the flier libelous, demanded Thursday that city officials push for a speedy resolution to the matter. But city officials said it is unlikely that an investigation could be completed within the two working days left prior to Tuesday's election.

``I don't know how long it will take to complete this investigation, but it will proceed in a usual manner and in due course,'' Giles said.

The inquiry could be delayed even longer if the city attorney chooses to refer the case to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office - a move usually reserved for investigations into matters close to city officials to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest.

In recent interviews, City Attorney Mark Sellers has said he considers Lederer a friend and colleague who is in many of the same social service clubs in town. Lederer also represented the city as a mediator in a lawsuit filed by Albert, Ned and Lida Cohan against the city of Thousand Oaks two years ago.

Lederer also was the former campaign manager for Councilman Andy Fox, who is running for re-election.

``Generally, code compliance is charged with investigating the violations of the municipal code, but there are exceptions when we refer matters to the district attorney, and this is a special case,'' Giles said.

City officials added that because the new campaign finance law was passed less than three months ago, this inquiry will be the first looking at potential loopholes in the new ordinance.

Lederer was named as the sole financier of the flier attacking Del Campo when Jay Kubrin, owner of a Los Angeles-based flier distribution company, released the name of the client who paid him to pass out the leaflets in Thousand Oaks.

Kubrin had tried to protect his client's identity, but when Del Campo and his attorney Edward Masry filed a lawsuit claiming the flier was libelous, Kubrin ultimately named Lederer and her pizza franchise BTR Inc. as the client.

Masry said Thursday that he was frustrated that the city attorney will not promise to move expeditiously with the investigation. On Thursday, he moved forward with his own inquiry and filed an amended lawsuit on behalf of Del Campo naming Lederer as a defendant.

Besides seeking to compel Lederer to disclose the expenditures, which she already has done, the suit maintains that the flier was libelous and distributed in violation of the campaign finance laws.

And Masry said he will serve Fox today with a notice of deposition, scheduled for Nov. 18 - more than two weeks after the election.

``We are looking into who exactly was involved with these fliers, and he (Fox) may have information relative to the suit,'' Masry said.

Lederer was the key proponent in the unsuccessful attempt to recall Councilwoman Elois Zeanah last fall, giving $390,899 to the campaign to remove her. She caused another stir last year when she posted fliers urging people to vote on pizza boxes going out for delivery.