From the "Trustee Tom Fuentes files" [Fuentes got his start working for corrupt OC supervisor Caspers; Caspers' chief crony was the corrupt Harber]:
LA Times, 6-20-72
Monday, which began as just another gray June morning at the courthouse pressroom, later livened up considerably in the political arena when:
—Two recently fired aides of 1st District Supervisor Robert Battin showed up to publicly accuse their ex-boss of being only a political puppet to his campaign manager and former aide, Fred Harber, a man they described as “Orange County’s kingmaker”;
—Harber himself appeared a short time later to deny the allegations, contending that “I am just a lowly worker in the vineyard…of good government”;
—And Battin made one of his infrequent visits to the pressroom to answer the charges in a more earthy manner, alleging the statements of his aides were “complete b—s—.”
The allegations themselves came from Steve Polatnick, 27, who had worked for Battin almost a year, and John Abbott, also 27, who had joined Battin’s staff only two months ago.
Both were fired last week as an aftermath of the June primary election in which Battin finished second to attorney William Wenke. The two candidates will vie in a runoff in the November general election.
At the time of the dismissals, Battin claimed his two aides were “ivory tower types,” adding that he was looking for assistants who are more community-minded.
But Polatnick and Abbott denied that statement Monday, contending it was the supervisor who was in the “ivory tower.”
“We handled hundreds of….calls and problems…while Battin sat in his inner office with orders that no constituents be allowed to speak to him…or see him.
“An exception was always made, of course, for big-money contributors,” Polatnick said.
Both claimed they have been fired on Harber’s orders because they opposed his idea that they should spend full time working on Battin’s campaign from now until November.
In addition, they alleged that Harber pulled the strings in Battin’s office, had masterminded a move to obtain a list of county employes for a last-minute campaign letter, had been behind a school busing “smear” letter aimed at Wenke and claimed that the one-time Cypress city manager and Buena Park councilman also controls two other supervisors, Board Chairman Ronald Caspers and Ralph Clark.
“He’s working to get a fourth vote on the board right now,” Polatnick added, implying that Harber was supporting Ralph Diedrich, who is bidding to oust incumbent Supervisor William Phillips in the 3rd District.
“He can control the board if he wishes, Polatnick commented. “It is my impression that Harber sees himself as the most powerful man in Orange County—a real kingmaker.”
However, both Polatnick and Abbot said Harber had not used his alleged power for financial gain, claiming it was their impression he was only interested in what they called “the game of political power.”
A few hours later, in response to telephone calls from newsmen, Harber appeared at the pressroom dressed in slacks, sports shirt and cowboy boots to categorically deny the allegations.
“I just think they want to hurt Bob politically,” he said. “That’s about what you’d expect from someone who is discharged.”
Harber, who earns his living in the property management field, emphatically denied that he sees himself as a kingmaker, or that he controls the Board of Supervisors.
“Bob Battin has a respect for my advice and counsel,” he admitted, “and many times he will follow that advice, but not always.”
But I think you will find some other supervisors who will bitterly resent any allegrations [sic] that I control a whole stable of them,” he continued with a laugh.
Harber admitted that he had worked on Clark’s campaign as an adviser, but said he had no attempted to influence the supervisor since that time. He claimed he had talked to Caspers only before the savings and loan executive for 5th District Supervisor in 1970 [sic].
Asked about any connection with Diedrich’s campaign, Harber replied that he had talked to him before the race began, but said he had no close connections since that time.
Harber said it was his impression that Polatnick and Abbott had been fired because they were incapable of communicating with community groups who had been left out of county government in the past. He also noted that Battin had been guilty of the same problem.
“It doesn’t help,” he explained, “for Battin to surround himself with that sort of person.”
As for the list of county employes, Harber said he had asked Abbott to obtain the names on the basis that a supervisor has the right to respond to allegations against him, as “official county business.”
Told the aides had charged him with ordering Battin to keep his mouth shut, Harber replied, “That’s not true. I only advised him not to lose his temper and to be careful to explain what he was saying. As his campaign manager, that’s my job.
‘Settle for Honesty’
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| Battin |
I’m really just a lonely worker in the vineyard,” he added, over the chuckles of his audience. “I just strive to help my friends bring better government to Orange County.”
Then it was Battin’s turn. He walked in with his new aides, Larry Wilhelms, a former staff worker for Assemblyman Kenneth Cory (D – Anaheim), and Bill Meyer, a Fullerton junior college English instructor who plans to take a leave of absence next fall. With them was Bob Liberty, a university political science student and Battin’s new summer intern.
Harber left as Battin began to explain that he did consult with his campaign manager on many occasions, both about the election and day-to--day county operations.
“Sometimes he calls the shots,” he said, “sometimes he doesn’t. But if I’m a puppet, how come he left just now?”
Asked if he [Harber] had left orders that he was not to talk to constituents unless they were contributors, Battin showed his only flare of temper.
“That’s complete b—s—,” he replied.
The firings, he continued, occurred because “Abbot was just not a good worker and Polatnick had alienated a lot of people during the campaign.”
Asked about the list of employes, Battin said that he, not Harber, had ordered Abbott to get the list, then echoed his campaign manager’s statement that “I had a right to answer the employes association attack, which was filled with lies.”
(The reference was aimed at an Orange County Employes Assn. newsletter released during the last week of the campaign which urged association members to vote against Battin because of his alleged votes against various employe programs.)
Battin denied other allegations that Harber had determined which companies would get county contracts on the basis of campaign contributions to Battin, or that he was favorable only to firms which gave such contributions.
“I think the Irvine Co. would be a good contradiction there,” he said. “Some of the officials there gave to my campaign but I generally vote against them anyway.”
Battin admitted that he perhaps was partly responsible for any breakdown in communications with his district, but said he was working to rectify that as quickly as possible.
However, he added, it would not be done by attending candidate meetings or debates.
“I’d rather spend my time talking to people in shopping centers or going door to door on my own,” he said. “Most of those things are loaded with my opponents’ supporters anyway.”
