Maywood councilman steps down to settle D.A.’s conflict-of-interest lawsuit

A Maywood city councilman has resigned his seat to settle a lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors alleging that he violated state law by holding two public offices at the same time, officials said Wednesday.

Prosecutors argued it was a conflict of interest for Sergio Calderon to simultaneously sit on the City Council and the Water Replenishment District of Southern California’s board of directors. On the regional water board, he oversees a division that includes Maywood and other southeast L.A. County cities.

The lawsuit, filed in 2016, claimed that the positions “have overlapping territory, duties and responsibilities, and a clash of duties is likely to arise in the exercise of both offices simultaneously.”

Under the settlement, Calderon agreed that he would not hold public office in Maywood while sitting on the water board, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. The lawsuit was dismissed last week, about two weeks after Calderon stepped down from his City Council post.

Calderon could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

This is not the first time Calderon was sued for sitting on both boards at the same time. Prosecutors filed a similar lawsuit in 2008 to remove him from the Maywood council because he was already serving on the water board.

Calderon resigned from his council post before the matter went to trial. He was elected again in November 2015.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek