Oral history interview with John K. Van De Kamp

449 Pages·2003·10.3 MB·English

by  California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State

CaliforniaStateArchives
State Government Oral HistoryProgram
Oral HistoryInterview
with
JOHN K. VAN DE KAMP
District Attorney, CountyofLos Angeles, 1975-1983
Attorney General, State ofCalifornia, 1983-1991
July21, August,18,25,September8, 15,30, October 14,27, 2003
Los Angeles, California
By SusanDouglass Yates
Oral HistoryProgram
University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles
RESTRICTIONS ONTHIS INTERVIEW
None.
LITERARYRIGHTS AND QUOTATION
This manuscript isherebymade availableforresearchpurposes only. Nopartof
themanuscript maybequoted for publicationwithout thewrittenpermissionofthe
CaliforniaStateArchivistortheHead,Department ofSpecialCollections, CharlesE.
Young ResearchLibrary,UCLA.
Requests forpermissiontoquote forpublication shouldbeaddressedto:
CaliforniaStateArchives
1020 O Street, Room 130
Sacramento, CA 94814
or
DepartmentofSpecialCollections
Charles E. YoungResearchLibrary
P.O. Box 951575
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA90095-1575
Therequest shouldinclude identificationofthespecific passages and
identificationofthe user.
It is recommendedthat this oralhistorybe cited as follows:
JohnK.VandeKamp, OralHistoryInterview, Conducted2003 bySusan
Douglass Yates, UCLA OralHistoryProgram, for the CaliforniaStateArchives State
Government Oral HistoryProgram.
Secretary of State
KEVIN SHELLEY
State of California
PREFACE
OnSeptember25,1985, Governor George DeukmejiansignedintolawA.B. 2104
(Chapter965 oftheStatutes of1985). Thislegislation established, underthe
administration ofthe CaliforniaState Archives, a State Government Oral History
Program "toprovide through theuseoforal history acontinuingdocumentation of
statepolicydevelopment asreflected inCalifornia's legislative and executive history."
Thefollowing interviewisoneofaseries oforal histories undertaken forinclusionin
the stateprogram. These interviews offerinsights into theactualworkings ofboththe
legislative and executive processes andpolicymechanisms. Theyalso offeran
increasedunderstanding ofthemenandwomenwhocreatelegislationandimplement
statepolicy. Further, theyprovide anoverview ofissue development inCalifornia
stategovernment andofhowboththelegislative andexecutivebranches of
government dealwithissuesandproblems facing thestate.
Interviewees arechosenprimarilyonthebasisoftheircontributions toandinfluence
onthepolicyprocess ofthestate ofCalifornia. Theyincludemembers ofthe
legislative and executivebranches ofthe stategovernmentaswell aslegislative staff,
advocates, membersofthemedia, andotherpeoplewhoplayedsigmficantrolesin
specific issue areas ofmajor and continuingimportance toCalifornia.
Byauthorizing theCalifornia StateArchives toworkcooperativelywithoralhistory
unitsatCaliforniacollegesanduniversities toconductinterviews, thisprogramis
structured totakeadvantage oftheresources andexpertiseinoralhistoryavailable
throughCalifornia'sseveralinstitutionallybasedprograms.
Participatingascooperationinstitutions inthe State Government OralHistory
Program are:
OralHistoryProgram
HistoryDepartment
CaliforniaStateUniversity, Fullerton
Oral HistoryProgram
Centerfor CaliforniaStudies
CaliforniaStateUniversity, Sacramento
Oral HistoryProgram
ClaremontGraduate School
Regional Oral HistoryOffice
The BancroftLibrary
UniversityofCalifornia, Berkeley
OralHistoryProgram
University ofCalifomia, Los Angeles
The establishmentofthe CalifomiaState Archives State Government Oral History
Programmarks oneofthemostsignificant commitmentsmadebyanystate toward the
preservation and documentationofits governmental history. Itsupplements the often
fi-agmentaryhistoricalwrittenrecordbyadding anorganizedprimarysource,
enrichingthehistorical information available ongiventopics and allowing formore
thorough historical analysis. Assuch, theprogram, throughthepreservation and
publicationofinterviews suchastheone which follows, willbeoflastingvalue to
currentandfuturegenerationsofscholars,citizens,andleaders.
JohnF. Bums
State Archivist
July27,1988
This interviewisprinted on acid-freepaper.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTERVIEW HISTORY i
BIOGRAPHICALSUMMARY iii
SESSION 1, July21, 2003
[Tape 1,SideA] 1
Familybackground—ParentsHarryJosephVandeKampandGeorgie
KalarVandeKamp—GrowingupinAltadenaduringthelatethirtiesand
earlyforties—AttendsTrailfindersSchoolforBoysin
Altadena—^Develops aninterestinconservationandpreservation through
outdoor activities while at Trailfinders—More on parents—Sister
GretchenVandeKamp—Finishes highschoolatJohnMuirCollegein
Pasadena—^Motheris a Roosevelt Democratand father is a moderate
Republican—^Religious upbringing—Familytravelsacrossthecountryto
take Van deKamp toDartmouth College.
[Tape!, SideB] 27
Learningtodrinkresponsibly—^Dartmouth College—Becomes aradio
announcer and station manager at the campus radio station
WDBS—^Academicand extracurricularinterests in college—Summer
jobsincludeworking atABC—Joins theUnited States Attorney'sOffice
afterfinishinglawschoolandmilitaryservice—^Benefitsofworkinginthe
U.S. Attorney's Officeearlyin career—^VandeKamp isnamed interim
U.S. Attorney—^Plans after completing law school—While deputy
directorofthe Executive OfficeforUnitedStatesAttorneysVan de Kamp
headsspecialunittolookintodraftviolators—Overseeing Resurrection
CityandthecaseofH.RapBrown—Personalthoughts abouteventsofthe
mid to latesixties.
SESSION2, August 18, 2003
[Tape2,SideA] 49
In 1969Van deKampbeginsto lookintoseveralcareeropportunities
when Richard M. Nixon becomes president—Becomes aDemocratic
candidate in the 1969 special electionfor the Twenty-seventh
Congressional District—Campaigning and raising funds—^Jesse M.
Unruh—^Republican opponent BarryM. GoldwaterJr.
[Tape2, Side B] 74
More on Republican opponentBarryM. GoldwaterJr.—^More on 1969
congressional campaign—Thecampaign experience—After losing the
1969 election Van deKamp decidestoreturn to California
permanently—Serves as campaign manager on Jesse Unruh's 1970
campaign for governor—More onUnruh—^Helps fnend Ed Miller in his
1970campaignfor SanDiego district attorney—^Returns to Washington
D.C. in the summerof1970to work on achapterofthe final report issued
by the President's Commissionon Campus Unrest—The bi-partisan
nature ofthe state legislaturein the 1960s and 1970s compared to
Washington, D.C.—Roleofcampaignfund-raising on increased
partisanship—^Unruh'sinability toraise asmuch money asRonaldW.
Reagan in the 1970governor's race—Reasons for creating afederal
public defender's office.
[Tape3, Side A] 97
Hiring stafffor the Los Angeles FederalPublic Defender's
Office—Serving as apublic defender and working with defendants.
SESSION3, August 25, 2003
[Tape4, Side A] 108
The Pheastercase—^Appointmentas district attorneyofLos
Angeles—Impressions ofthe DistrictAttorney's Officein the
mid-seventies—^Vande Kamp's inaugural speech addresses goals for the
DA's Office—^Van de Kamp appoints StevenTrott and Andrea
Ordin—Earlyefforts in the DA's Office to reorganizejuvenile
court—Cases handledbytheDA's Office overthe years—In response to
theft and fi*aud problems in the movie industry, establishes the
EntertainmentTaskForce.
[Tape4, SideB] 130
The Roll-out Unit is establishedin response to the EuliaLove incident as
well as otherincidents ofpolice shootings—^TheBoardof
Supervisors—Establishesnew programs and units to focus on specific
issues—^BureauofChildSupport—Improvingthe Bureau of
Investigation—^More on new programs and units—Coming into the DA's
Office as an outsider—Administrative focus.
[Tape 5, Side A] 153
The 1976Los Angeles District Attorney campaign—Opponents in the
1976election—^Proposition 13—The 1980campaign.
SESSION4, September 8, 2003
[Tape6,SideA] 162
More onVan deKamp's inaugural speechasDA—^DA's Office efforts to
pursue public corruption cases—andeKamp is apotentialcandidate for
the FBI directorship in 1977—^MeetingJ.Edgar Hooverin 1966—^The
impact ofProposition 13onthe DA's Office—Changes in the DA's
Officein the seventies and eighties—^Non-partisan role ofthe
DA—^Meetingfuture wife AndreaFisher—Events leading to Van de
Kamp's decision torun for California state attorney general in
1982—^Democraticopponent OmerL. Rains.
[Tape6, Side B] 188
Raising funds and campaign strategies—Issues raised by Republican
opponentGeorgeNicholson—Campaignplatform—Organizingtheoffice
andhiring stafffortheAttorney General's Office—Creationofthe Cal-ID
system andits use in helping to apprehend Richard Ramirez—Other
technological advances include the use ofDNA and the Cal-PHOTO
system—CampaignAgainst Marijuana Planting program is created to
deal with increasedcriminal activityduringthe eighties.
[Tape 7, Side A] ..211
ExpandstheeffortsoftheDivisionofLawEnforcement—^Focuses efforts
in the areaofconsumer fraud and environmental protection.
SESSION5, September 15, 2003
[Tape8,SideA] 221
Reapportionment and the Sebastiani initiative in the early
eighties—Working with the Governor's Office on thebudgetwhenthere
is a deficit—^DivisionofCivil Law—^Unitarytax law—^Reorganizingthe
DivisionofCriminal Law and creatinga CorrectionalLaw
Section—Establishes aMajorFraud Unit aspart ofan effort to provide
moresupporttolocallawenforcement—MoreonorganizingtheAttorney
General's Office—^More onthe office's efforts in environmental
protection—^Antitrust enforcementdealingwiththemergersof
supermarket chains.
[Tape 8,SideB] ^ 242
More on antitrust enforcement dealing with the mergers ofsupermarket
chains—^The Attorney General's Office successfully prevents the merger
ofSouthern CaliforniaEdison and SanDiego Gas and
Electric—Coordinatingwithattorneygeneralsin otherstates on antitrust
enforcement—Increasing costs in insurance leads to efforts to
regulate—^Van deKampargues Proposition 103 (November 1988)in
frontofthe CaliforniaSupremeCourt—VandeKamp's stanceonthe
deathpenaltyandeffortsto streamlinetheprocess—TheDivisionofLaw
Enforcementandprovidingsupporttolocallawenforcement—The
BureauofCriminal Statistics.
[Tape 9,SideA] 263
ThroughvariousprogramsandactivitiestheAttorneyGeneral's Office
concentratesondealingwithincreasingcasesofchildabuse—^Role of
commissions and enactingrecommendations.
SESSION6, September30, 2003
[Tape10,SideA].... 272
The shooting ofschool children byPatrick Purdy leads Van deKamp to
championlegislationbanningassaultweapons—^The Roberti-Roos
AssaultWeaponsBill—Createsacommissiononracial, ethnic,religious,
andminorityviolence—More onthe Assault Weapons Bill—Other
activities ofthe Civil Rights Unit—^A.B. 1952,AIDS drug testing
legislation.
[Tape 10,SideB] 294
More onA.B. 1952,AIDS drug testing legislation—Governor
Deukemejian—TheactivitiesofExecutivePrograms—^Meeting regularly
withpolicechiefsandsheriffs—^Workingwiththepressandmedia—^A.B.
3300, the Trial CourtDelay Reduction Act alsoknow as"fast
track"—^How theAttorneyGeneral'sOfficeworkedwiththelegislature
onbills—^The Attorney GeneraFs Office role in the initiativeprocess.
[Tape 11,SideA] ....317
More ontheAttorneyGeneral's Officerole in theinitiativeprocess—an
deKarap's stanceonthelotteryinitiative—Theinitiativeprocess.
SESSION 7, October 14, 2003
[Tape12,SideA] 325
Observations on the recall ofGovernorDavis and the election of
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger—The Commission on Judicial
Appointments—^The impactofthe1986elections onthemakeupofthe
CaliforniaStateSupremeCourt—ChiefJusticeRoseE.Birdandthecourt
during the early tomid eighties.
[Tape 12,SideB] 350
More on ChiefJusticeBirdand the courtduringthe earlyto mid
eighties—ChiefJustice Bird—The Commission onToxics—Van de
Kamp serves on the Special Committee on Criminal Justice in aFree
Society—VandeKamp's 1986re-electioncampaign—Supporting
candidateswhilerunningforoffice—^More onthe 1986re-election
campaign—^The appointmentofastatetreasurerafterTreasurer Jesse
Unruhpassesaway—^Problems withthesavings andloanindustryinthe
late 1980s—Workingwith GovernorDeukmejianand his
staff—Relationshipwiththelegislature—Comparingthe firstterm with
the secondterm in the Attorney General's Office.
[Tape13,SideA] 372
Makingthedecisiontorunforgovernor—^Van deKamp's campaign
focusesondeveloping threeinitiatives—^DianneFeinstein—^VandeKamp
gainsthe endorsementattheStateDemocraticConvention.
SESSION 8, October 27, 2003
[Tape14,SideA] 385
Van deKamp's thoughts onhis strengthsandweaknesses as acandidate
for governor^—More onusinginitiativesasacampaignstrategy—Vande
Kamp's termlimitsinitiativeversusPeteSchabarum'sProposition
140—Legislativeresponsetothetermlimitsinitiatives—Changes inthe
legislaturesince Proposition 140passed—^Financial impact ofinitiatives
on campaign—Campaignteam—^Use ofthe media during the
campaign—^Dealingwith negativecampaigning—^Therole ofpollsters.
[Tape14SideB] 408
More on strategybehind proposing initiatives during the
campaign—^RepublicancandidatePeteWilsonsupports Proposition
115—CampaigningforPropositions129and131 afterlosingin the
primary—^Thegovemor'sraceleadinguptothe general election—^Andrea
Van de Kamp—^DianaVan de Kamp—^Activitiesin the Attorney
GeneraTs Office through the end ofVan de Kamp's term—^Joins Dewey
Ballantine after considering anumber ofoptions—^Various activities Van
deKamphasparticipatedin sinceleavingoffice—^Thoroughbred Owners
ofCalifornia—In 1992 chairs aninterview panel for the selections ofthe
LosAngeleschiefofpolice—Chairsa1992commissiontopresentbudget
optionsto theLosAngelesUnifiedSchoolDistrict—^Democratic
leadershipin theHouse—^Thoughts onchallengesandaccomplishments
throughout career.
[Tape15,SideA] 433
Reflections on experiences throughout Van de Kamp's career.