LOS ANGELES : Candidate Sanders Gets City Funds Over Foe’s Objection

Over the objections of his rival, Los Angeles City Council candidate Stan Sanders on Monday received an additional $33,879 in city matching funds to finance his campaign to unseat Councilman Nate Holden.

Holden demanded Friday that the city Ethics Commission drop Sanders from its matching funds program until the conclusion of an investigation into whether the challenger misused similar funds when he ran for mayor in 1993.

But Ethics Commission officials, who administer the matching funds program, have indicated they have no grounds for denying the support to Sanders.

With Monday’s installment, Sanders has received a total of $60,146 in matching funds for his council race. Holden originally declined to take matching funds. Two weeks ago, however, as Sanders showed a burst of fund-raising strength, Holden sought to change course. But the incumbent was deemed ineligible to get matching funds because the deadline for applying had passed.

The state Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating an allegation that Sanders, an attorney, improperly used $53,490 of his mayoral contributions--including matching funds--to pay for rental expenses stemming from his law practice. Sanders has denied any wrongdoing.