Allegations Against Agency President Called Exaggerated

In an apparent vote of confidence, directors of the Los Angeles Private Industry Council said Monday that allegations against the agency’s embattled president “have been exaggerated and are in many cases unfounded.”

That assessment came in a prepared statement released after a closed-door meeting to consider reports that PIC President Dominick J. Ramos mishandled a $160,000 marketing contract, solicited political contributions from his employees, used government funds to purchase a new automobile and made numerous false claims on his resume when he was hired in 1984.

The Private Industry Council, in partnership with the Los Angeles City Council, grants $42 million a year in federal funds to schools, private businesses, labor unions and minority agencies to provide job training programs for Los Angeles residents.

Chairman Robert Clark declined in an interview to specify the allegations that the board found to be untrue or exaggerated. He would only say that the board--after listening to Ramos and without making any independent checks--concluded that he had not lied on his resume.

“None of the board members felt the resume contained anything other than some beneficial wording,” Clark said.

Parts of the noisy discussion could be heard 10 feet away in the hallway leading to the PIC conference room.

“Maybe I might have embellished a little,” Ramos could be heard telling the board members.

After Ramos left the room, one board member said:

“If we in private industry personnel saw this (the resume), we would call the guy up and say, ‘You jerk. What is this? Now go back to your job and do it.’ ”

At times during the meeting, several board members criticized Ramos. He has “embarrassed” the board and “has not really been a good manager . . . “ one director said. “I think this is a very poor point we’ve reached.”

Another board member added, “He has caused the PIC to be degraded in the eyes of the community and the public.”

The board decided to meet in closed session again next week to decide the fate of Ramos, consider other personnel issues and review the agency’s goals and operations.

Ramos, 50, who earns $76,572 a year, has come under fire in recent weeks following allegations contained in a harassment complaint filed by PIC Vice President Arthur P. Lawson. A financial audit of the agency released last week found that Ramos used government funds intended for monthly car lease payments to purchase a new 1986 Lincoln Continental.

Board members, speaking on the condition they remain anonymous, said after the meeting that they were not concerned about the unauthorized vehicle purchase and reports that Ramos may have violated the federal Hatch Act by soliciting campaign contributions from his staff and board members. They said that while Ramos clearly made mistakes in managing a $160,000 contract with the Los Angeles public relations firm of Fouch-Roseboro, the errors were not serious enough to warrant disciplinary action. The board also was not convinced that Ramos made false claims on his resume, the members said.

The Times reported last week that Ramos made numerous false statements in his four-page resume. These included claims that he was appointed by former President Jimmy Carter to a “sub-cabinet” position in the Department of Commerce, was selected by Mayor Tom Bradley to serve on three city committees and worked as head of the corporate banking group at First Los Angeles Bank, where he served as a special assistant to Chairman Charles Manatt.

According to records and sources familiar with these positions, Ramos was not appointed by Carter to the Commerce job, was appointed by Bradley to only one committee and worked at First Los Angeles Bank for only six months as a low-level vice president without serving in any capacity as an assistant to Manatt.

Ramos said he presented the board Monday with evidence that he worked at First Los Angeles Bank for more than a year and turned over documents he said had led him to believe that Bradley had appointed him to two other committees. He said he also presented information that indicated he had done some work for Manatt.