Gorfine, a Democratic party activist, says he was approached by Miller to sign on as a plaintiff "in order to give local residency" to the complaint. He said he has known and admired Miller since the days when the attorney was serving as chief deputy to California's then Secretary of State March Fong Eu.

Malcolm, who represents the City of Chula Vista on the Port Commission, reacted angrily to the suit, calling Miller a "political assassin" whose real interest is to punish him for opposing aspects of developer Doug Manchester's hotel plans at the bay. Gorfine told HERITAGE he never met either Malcolm nor Manchester, and asked of the latter: "Who is he? A shortstop for the Brewers?"

Asked why he lent his name to the law suit, Gorfine recalled that he had been helping to put on a fundraising event for Fong Eu in San Diego in 1985 when his father died. He went up to Los Angeles area for the funeral and returned in time to attend the fundraiser. Moved by his devotion, Fong Eu wrote "the dearest letter to my mother that I would do that -- and it put years on her life," Gorfine said. -- Donald H. Harrison