STRING OF ETHICAL BREACHES PUTS DELGADILLO ON DEFENSIVE.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH

Staff Writer

Rocky Delgadillo's foibles have tarnished the city attorney's reputation as a clean government leader and placed his standing as Los Angeles' top prosecutor and legal adviser in jeopardy.

The latest reports that Delgadillo's staff baby-sat his kids and ran personal errands follow a litany of embarrassing ethical breaches that have put the prosecutor on the defensive.

Delgadillo first came under fire for having city taxpayers pick up the cost of repairing his city-owned SUV. His wife, who is not permitted to drive the vehicle, dented it. He paid the $1,222 in repairs only after the incident was reported in the press.

Political observers say Delgadillo's contention that his staff voluntarily helped him out by running errands and baby-sitting his kids does not get him out of hot water.

"It's a big problem even if it is voluntary because it's not really voluntary. There is some unspoken coercion," said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies.

"Unfortunately he's not the only one. I've dealt with elected officials and worked with elected officials and they think it's their prerogative to ask staff to do these things. There's an aura of power you have that you're above everything and can get away with it."

Former employees with the City Attorney's Office have said they saw secretaries and administrative employees baby-sit Delgadillo's two sons and run errands for him during business hours, including setting up a trampoline at his million-dollar midcity home.

Staff volunteered

Delgadillo's office admitted that staff members did run errands and watch his children and take them to a museum. But his office said staffers volunteered to do it on their own time.

"On occasion, city staff members -- some of whom the City Attorney has known for many years -- have watched the Delgadillo children on their own personal time. They were personally paid by the Delgadillos, but sometimes declined payment," his office said in a written statement.

"In addition, on rare occasions, city staff have run errands for the City Attorney on their lunch breaks or personal time."

Two former employees who spoke to the Daily News, but who did not want their names used for fear of retaliation, said they believed some of the errands were done on the clock.

When asked whether the employees ran errands using city cars, Delgadillo's office said: "Not to our knowledge."

When pressed on whether Delgadillo himself asked the staffers to handle his affairs, his office would only say: "It was done voluntarily."

But under city policy, no city official is allowed to use his or her position of authority to induce or coerce someone into providing something of private advantage or gain.

One former employee said Delgadillo and his top aides were warned that he could be breaking the law by having city employees baby-sit and take care of his personal affairs.

When asked Thursday whether that was true, his office responded: "We do not recall any conversation along those lines."

Officials shocked

Privately, several city officials said they were shocked that Delgadillo would take the political risk of having employees baby-sit his kids.

"This is a matter that involves principles and ethics. It's obviously embarrassing and it doesn't help his political career," said Councilman Dennis Zine, who expects that the City Ethics Commission will launch an investigation into Delgadillo's use of city resources.

Delgadillo has been under scrutiny since shortly after he began the publicized prosecution of Paris Hilton for violating her probation for a DUI.

Over the next week or so, it was revealed that Delgadillo's wife, Michelle, had driven on a suspended license, without insurance, with a nine-year-old warrant stemming from 1998 vehicle citations, and damaged his city-owned SUV, which was repaired at taxpayer expense. Delgadillo also admitted that he had unknowingly been an uninsured driver for a year.

"When karma bites you, it really bites," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior scholar at the University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning and Development.

"You don't know whether or not this will end his political career."

Michelle Delgadillo told KABC (Channel 7) on Thursday that she's an admitted bad driver and has learned her lesson.

"I was disorganized. I was. There's no excuse for it. I'm not going to make excuses for myself. I wouldn't want my kids to do it and I can't do it," she said.

"I have to be more organized, there is no doubt about it. I do. There's no excuse for it. I made a mistake."

Michelle Delgadillo said she's a stay-at-home mom, but she also runs a consulting business called CRD Inc. from her home that brings in between $10,000 and $100,000 a year, according to the city attorney's statement of economic interest.

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo faces mounting ethics questions.