COUNCIL WANTS MAILER INVESTIGATED.

Byline: EUGENE TONG Staff Writer

GLENDALE -- City officials are asking state Attorney General Bill Lockyer to investigate a negative campaign mailer in the 43rd Assembly District race that offended members of the local Armenian community.

The City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night requesting a state investigation but stopped short of holding its own inquiry.

``Unless something dramatically changes, we would be going on a fishing expedition,'' Councilman Ara Najarian said.

Councilman Frank Quintero, who lost to Burbank school board member Paul Krekorian in the June 6 Democratic primary, has denied any connection to the mailer, which was financed by an independent committee, the Oakland-based California Latino Leadership Fund. A report in Capitol Weekly, a political publication, traced the group's financing to the state Latino Caucus in Sacramento.

At Tuesday's council meeting, Quintero pressed for an inquiry that could clear his name.

``I will either make the motion or second that motion,'' he said. ``I've condemned the mailer when it first came out, and I've followed up with a letter to the attorney general and the secretary of state. ... We absolutely had no idea that was taking place.''

The mailer attempted to link Quintero's Armenian-American opponent to terrorism by way of the Armenian National Committee of America, which endorsed Krekorian. A former ANC leader no longer tied to the advocacy group was convicted in 2001 of possessing stolen explosives and assault weapons.

``It's easy to deplore these acts,'' said Zanku Armenian, an ANC Western Region representative. ``But it's important to have accountability. ... We the citizens of Glendale are waiting for real answers, but we can't wait forever.''

The flap damaged Quintero's standing with the Armenian-American community, in which he had cultivated political ties for decades.

Councilman Bob Yousefian, a member of the council's Armenian-American majority and a Krekorian supporter, still faults Quintero for the mailer.

``It came out on a Friday night,'' he said. ``On Friday night and Saturday, not once did Mr. Quintero come out and say he had nothing to do with it. If it was me, I would've been on TV Friday. ... Maybe the attorney general can get to the bottom of this.''

Some speakers at the meeting, including several Armenian-Americans, flocked to Quintero's defense.

``I do not believe whatsoever the mailer would've come from his office,'' Glendale resident Aram Kazazian said. ``This is a mailer that came without his knowledge.''

Resident Larry Cole said Quintero has no reason to apologize. ``Since when does somebody who has no culpability take responsibility anyway?'' he said.

Laurie Collins, president of the Glendale Democratic Club, asked the community to withhold judgment and not to pit the Armenian community against local Latinos.

``Two wrongs don't make a right,'' she said. ``This issue is very important, and it's a cloud on our election process.''

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com

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