Gardena- Gardena Councilman Steve Bradford took nearly $17,000 from Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and his associates a day before voting to allow the Hustler Casino to expand, according to state campaign finance records.

The council voted 5-0, on Bradford’s motion, to make an exception to city parking requirements and allow the expansion on Feb. 28. The previous day, Bradford had taken $16,800 for his Assembly bid from Flynt and three top executives in the Hustler publishing empire, according to finance documents filed earlier this month.Blue Moon Saloon

The arrangement is both “perfectly legal” and “perfectly unethical,” according to Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies and an expert on campaign finance.

“It just looks terrible to take money the day before you vote on their application,” Stern said. “It shows the need for reforming the law.”

Bradford is running for the 51st Assembly District seat currently held by Jerome Horton, who faces term limits. He will square off against Inglewood Councilman Curren Price in the June 6 primary. In an interview, Bradford said the contribution from Flynt had nothing to do with his vote on the expansion.

“I have never sold my vote. If it happened the day before, it’s just a coincidence,” he said. “Steve Bradford is not for sale.”

The Daily Breeze was first alerted to the issue by an anonymous phone call and subsequent anonymous faxes. When asked if his campaign was the source of the information, Price denied it, but said he was aware of the matter.

“People sometimes vote in their best interests,” Price said. “Maybe that was one of those occasions.”

Hustler Casino General Manager Thomas Candy said there was “no impropriety” with the donations. Candy gave $5,000 of the total, and appeared on Hustler’s behalf at the council meeting on Feb. 28.

“We have a relationship with Steve because we’re in the city and so is he,” Candy said. “The other side solicited us for support as well.”

Hustler opted not to support Price. Bradford noted that controversial developers have donated to Price’s campaign, and said that in raising the issue Price has become “a desperate candidate grasping for straws.”

“Hustler Casino has been a great corporate citizen in the city of Gardena,” Bradford said. “They employ local residents.”

Hustler proposed last year to add a new wing to the casino, which would add 17 card tables and increase capacity by 136 patrons. Neighbors around the casino worried that the expansion would exacerbate parking problems, which were already acute on big tournament days.

The casino already used 75 spaces for its employees at a nearby shopping center. With the expansion, city code required an extra 91 spaces at the casino. Hustler arranged to add the extra spaces at the shopping center, about a block and a half away, which required a variance. Some neighbors opposed the idea, and spoke against it at public meetings.

“If they tried to go in to where Vons is, it just creates more parking problems,” former Councilwoman Gwen Duffy said.

Hustler was in negotiations at the time with the owner of a parking garage across the street to provide surplus spaces, so the casino would no longer have to use the shopping center lot. Bradford suggested that the city use its leverage with the garage owner to expedite the negotiations.

Hustler has since made a deal with the city and the garage owner to provide the needed overflow spaces at the garage, alleviating the need for the shopping center spaces and generally satisfying neighbors’ concerns.

A Gardena ordinance bars city contractors from donating to city campaigns. But the ordinance does not apply to state races, City Attorney Edward Lee said.