L.A. Lawmaker: Colleague 'Most Racist I Have Encountered'

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) - whose office distributed fake police-type badges to campaign contributors - called an Assembly colleague a racist for investigating the matter and allegedly singling him out.

Dymally is angry because Assembly Rules Committee Chairman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) said flashing the badges was a "crime" as he launched a committee probe into the possible misdemeanor offenses. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) asked him to investigate how the badges were made and distributed, and report back next month. Nunez, too, called the badges "disturbing."

The e-mail exchange came between a reporter for Capitol Television News Service, which provides video feeds and news to several stations, and Dymally's press secretary. The comments, however, were from Dymally and relayed through the press aide. The TV service sent out the exchange in an "editor's note" tonight and it quickly spread around the Capitol.

Why does Mr. Dymally consider this a race issue?

"Because Assemblyman De La Torre is the most racist legislator I have encountered in over 40 years."

Is he implying the Speaker is a racist?

"Not at all, on the contrary it was not his intention to single me out, that was the work of De La Torre."

Is this a challenge to Nunez's leadership?

Dymally says he was an original supporter of Nunez, then adds: "His selecting De La Torre for this particular assignment was due to the fact that he was unaware that De La Torre has a reputation of racial antagonism towards African-Americans."

Dymally, it should be noted, has accused the L.A. Times of having a racial motive over the story as well. He sent out a statement saying: "The L.A. Times has been working on this story for six months now. I feel the story was picked back up to scrutinize me because I was given the chairmanship of the Assembly Health Committee and have announced my candidacy for the 25th Senate seat. The harassment of Black elected officials is nothing new to me."

In the e-mail exchange, shown below, Dymally falsely claims that De La Torre leaked information to the Times. in fact, the newspaper wrote about the badges only after a Dymally protege had been arrested for allegedly impersonating a state official using one of the badges.

Read background on the story here. And here.

The badges in question are heavy, metal and come with an official seal that reads, "California State Assembly. Commissioner." There is no such thing as a state Assembly "commissioner." Dan Morain, the L.A. Times reporter who first broke this story, found that a dozen people who received badges have donated more than $25,000 to Dymally since 2003.

Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Nunez, declined to comment on the e-mails and said the Speaker is waiting for the investigation to be completed. De La Torre's office called Dymally's comments "unfortunate" and said the investigation is looking at the "practice" of ordering badges and handing them out, and is not singling out a particular lawmaker.