Not surprisingly, on Friday Lungren let everyone off the hook.

First, the Democrats. Assembly members Carl Washington of Compton and Edward Vincent of Inglewood were accused of swapping votes -- a violation of the state bribery law -- for their actions on bills of key interest to both lawmakers. The accusation arose in July, after Washington indicated during a hearing of the Assembly Labor Committee that he voted for a high-profile bill carried by Vincent because Vincent voted for a bill that Washington wanted for his Compton district.

The Vincent bill, one of the most controversial measures of the year, would exempt taverns and gambling parlors from the state's ban on smoking for three more years. The ban is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. Washington, who earlier opposed the exemption, later changed his mind and voted for Vincent's bill.

Both Vincent and Washington denied any impropriety, but suspicious Republicans, among others, demanded a probe. Even more suspicious: A tape recording of the Labor Committee proceedings, which presumably could put the matter to rest, was discovered to be blank, apparently erased.

Lungren said he investigated the issue and cleared both lawmakers, saying there was no indication of a pre-arrangement between the two men. He also said there was "no way to establish what happened to the missing tape."

The Republican attorney general also cleared Gov. Pete Wilson on a separate issue involving perceived illegality, involving the governor's decision to veto budget items -- many of them favored by Democrats -- and then offer to restore them if the Democrats supported his plan to set up a standardized school testing program. The complaint from Democratic Sen. John Burton of San Francisco alleged that the governor violated the constitution with his vetoes, as well as bribery and extortion laws, when he "set aside" or conditionally vetoed more than $200 million in spending in the 1997-98 budget.

But Lungren said Wilson had not violated any laws, primarily because he had not demonstrated any criminal or corrupt intent. He said the governor had engaged in "political leveraging," but had not engaged in illegal conduct, and he rejected Burton's contention that the vetoes represented a form of vote swapping. The governor's press office accused Burton of rank partisanship, and said he was engaged in a "frivolous pursuit of windmills."

Burton, of course, remains unconvinced.

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