Assemblyman Fails to Keep Date With D.A. : Politics: Scott Baugh’s lawyer says meeting was delayed so he could confer with client regarding probe into possible links to former campaign rival.

Assemblyman Scott Baugh failed to keep an appointment Monday with the Orange County district attorney’s office to answer questions about an investigation into his financial disclosure statements and his possible links to former Democratic candidate Laurie Campbell.

Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) declined to comment on why he did not meet with lawyers and investigators with the district attorney’s office. However, his attorney, Ronald G. Brower, said he asked for the delay because he had yet to confer at length with Baugh.

Brower, who had a trial that ended Monday, met with Baugh on Monday night. He said he would call the district attorney’s office Tuesday to reschedule the meeting for later this week or early next week.

Baugh was in his offices at 3 p.m. Tuesday, the scheduled time for his meeting with prosecutors. Two staffers were there with him in the offices formerly occupied by Assemblywoman Doris Allen, who was recalled Nov. 28 and replaced by Baugh.

Deputy Dist. Atty. John Anderson said he could “not confirm or deny” Baugh’s appearance. “The investigation is ongoing,” he said.

Campbell was removed from the ballot a month before the recall election in the 67th Assembly District amid allegations that she was a “stealth candidate” recruited by GOP leaders seeking to siphon votes from Baugh’s chief Democratic opponent, Linda Moulton-Patterson. A Superior Court judge determined that Campbell’s nominating papers had been falsified.

In campaign finance reports filed shortly before the polls closed in last Tuesday’s election, Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) said he received $1,000 from Rick Campbell, husband of Laurie Campbell, then returned it several weeks later, on the day Laurie Campbell filed for the 67th District race.

Baugh did not disclose the contribution from Rick Campbell in three previous state-required campaign finance reports filed between the time he received the money and last week’s report, in which he wrote that it had been “inadvertently omitted.”

Democrats and Republican candidates in the race have accused Baugh of concealing the contribution and links to Campbell to keep from damaging his election effort.