Hahn Creates Panel to Review Contracting

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, whose administration has been under fire amid criminal probes into city contracting, announced the creation Thursday of a citizens commission to review contracting at the airport, harbor and Department of Water and Power.

“I think we want to make sure the three proprietary departments have absolutely the best practices,” Hahn said in an interview.

Hahn said the city would select a consultant to analyze contracting procedures at the three departments and report to the new commission.

To head the board, Hahn appointed USC law and ethics professor Erwin Chemerinsky, who also sits on the Police Commission’s Rampart review panel and helped lead the city’s charter reform efforts five years ago.

Until now, Hahn has said little about the mounting questions surrounding the influence of campaign donations and political favoritism in the awarding of city contracts, particularly at the so-called proprietary departments: airport, harbor, and water and power.

The three are overseen by mayor-appointed boards that award hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts. Some of the commissioners are among the city’s most prolific fundraisers.

City Controller Laura Chick in December released a scathing audit of contracting at the airport, and has alleged unspecified criminal wrongdoing, which airport officials vigorously deny.

At the same time, a local grand jury has been taking testimony about airport contracting. And federal prosecutors last week began subpoenaing contracting records from the airport, harbor, and water and power departments.

“I think it’s obvious that there is a serious problem with contracting at the proprietary departments,” Chemerinsky said, citing the audit and the criminal investigations.

The mayor’s office said Thursday that Hahn expects the study to be completed in 30 to 60 days. Hahn and Chemerinsky will appoint other members of the commission in coming days.