Imperial Valley press., 1931-06-08
POLITICS
ENTER IN
LAWSUIT
Charge Of Extortion To
Aid Young Campaign Is
Made By Defendant.
STANDING INJURED
DeWaard Company As
serts They Were Vic
tins OF A Conspiracy.

Attempted extortion by his hench-
men of donations to the campaign
fund of former Governor c. C.
Young during the last gubernator-
ial primary election was charged
today in a cross-complaint filed by
the DeWaard and Son construction
company as the latest development
in the Coyote Wells undergrade
crossing suit.
Damages aggregating S139 ,99l.42
are asked in the cross-complaint
from the Great American Indemni-
ty company, the state Of Califor-
mia, the department of public
works of the state highway COM
mission, G.. T. Gunston as disburs-
ing officer of the department Of
public works, and the Basich Broth
ers Construction Company.
Charges of conspiracy to induce
l.. deWaard, ST., and his son, part
ners in the construction company,
to contribute financially to Cover
nor Youngs campaign fund after
they had received the state con-
tract for building of the Coyote
Wells undergrade crossing. were di-
rected mainly at the department. OF
public works.
Because the elder deWaard re-
fused to contribute to the campaign
fund, asserted the cross-complaint,
officers of the department Of pub
lie works threatened to, and did.
iniure the standing Of the deWaard
company with bonding companies
and other contractors.
! 1t would be to his interest to con-
/ tribute to the campaign fund OF
the man who was then governor
/ deWaard, Sr., quoted B. A. Price.
resident engineer of the department
of public works, as saying. When
! the contractor still refused to con-
tribute, went on the cross-com-
plant, he received word that "if he
knew what was good for him he
would change his mind"
The cross ss-complaint told of an
asserted telephone call from some
person who represented himself as
member of Governor Young's
campaign headquarters staff, In
forming the construction company
that unless the desired support was
Forthcoming the company's contract
with the state would be revoked.
Letter Quoted
A letter, allegedly signed by G.
A. Bressler of the Wells and Bress-
Ter construction company, Pasa-
dena, was quoted in the cross-com-
plant as urging the deWaards to
contribute to the fund, and saying
other contractors for the state had
already sent in their checks.
AS a result of the firms refusal
to pay tribute into the campaign
fund, asserted the complaint. state
officials neglected for some length
of time to procure right of way
for the undergrade crossing, re-
fused to pay monthly estimates SUBJ
mitted by the contractors, prepared
and submitted to higher authorities
! false and incorrect estimates of the
work done and the amount due
/ deWaard and Son, injured the
| standing of the contractors with
! bonding companies by threatening
| to revoke the state contract, and
{ liIldlly lIdClCO Will ltlC odoiSll
! Brothers company to take over
/ portion of the work allotted to the
| deWaard firm in the original state
! contract.
Later laborers employed by the
/ deWaards were informed by state
officials that they had better not
! continue working for the contract
ors, since the Basich company had
taken over the job. charged the
cross complaint.
In one cause of action the con-
| tracing firm asked 9,991.4 al
legged due for services rendered, and
in a second cause of action asked
$4,000 damages.
The undergrade crossing suit was
started by the Great American In
| demnity company. bonding COM
! pany for deWaard and Son. in an
effort to force the state TO pay
money asserted due the contractors
and laborers. No mention OF poll
tical connections was made until
the cross complaint was filed today.
Numerous complications, cross suits.
demurrers, affidavits and other pa
pers have added to files on the
| case.