Inglewood’s Payments to Treasurer Questioned

In apparent violation of city policy and state law prohibiting use of public funds for political purposes, Inglewood City Treasurer Wanda Brown obtained $145 in reimbursements from the city after attending political events this year, city records show.

Brown said Thursday that she did not know at the time that city officials cannot receive reimbursements of public money for attending political events. She returned part of the money this week at the city’s request, City Manager Paul Eckles said.

Brown requested and received reimbursement from the city for a total of $145 that she paid to attend two fund raisers for presidential candidate Jesse Jackson and a dinner honoring Mayor Edward Vincent, records show.

A city does not have the legal authority to spend taxpayer funds for a partisan political purpose, according to Gene Hill, head of the Government Division of the state attorney general’s office. He said such an expense could constitute misuse of public funds under Penal Code Section 424, which prohibits “use of public monies for any purpose not authorized by law.”

Specific Prohibition

Moreover, the state Penal Code specifically prohibits “seeking public funds for reimbursements for costs of attendance at political functions.” The law states that anyone who requests payment of public funds for costs incurred in attending a political function organized to support a candidate or party may face imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

In an interview, Brown said: “When I submitted the reimbursement form, I had no idea this was not a reimbursable expense. It was not brought to my attention until recently. As soon as I was notified, I returned the money.”

Eckles said in an interview last week that city officials did not notice the $100 reimbursement to Brown for the Jackson fund raiser, which was held in March, until recently when The Times asked for Brown’s reimbursement records.

During the interview, Eckles was informed of additional records that show the city treasurer requested and received reimbursement for a $35 “salute to Mayor Vincent” by Inglewood Latinos in July and for a $10 “Educators for Jesse Jackson” fund raiser in June. He said officials did not spot those payments, but he said Brown has been asked to repay any other reimbursements she received for attending political events.

‘It Slipped Through’

“It’s not permitted,” Eckles said. “That’s the most clear thing in the world. I don’t know how it slipped through.”

The reimbursement of city funds for a contribution to a presidential campaign could violate federal law, according to a spokesman for the Federal Election Commission. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 prohibits “any corporation whatever”--including municipalities--from contributing to presidential campaigns, said Federal Election Commission spokesman Fred Eisland.

Commission regulations also prohibit a person from making a political contribution in the name of another and not revealing the true source of the contribution, Eisland said. Those regulations could come into play in the case of an individual who is reimbursed by a city for a campaign contribution to a presidential candidate, he said.

Finance Director Nick Rives said Thursday that although Brown had returned the $100 reimbursement for the political contribution to Jackson, she had not returned the reimbursement for $35 paid for the event held by Latino leaders for Vincent because she did not think it was a political expense.

“She indicated it was city business,” said Rives, who added that only a small amount of money was involved. “I haven’t investigated it further. I’m taking her representation on it unless I get further information.”

No Request Made

Brown said she did not repay the city for the Vincent dinner and the second Jackson fund raiser because officials had not asked her to.

Though Eckles said Brown’s reimbursement for the Jackson fund raiser “slipped through” the Accounting Department’s review procedure, the political nature of the expense was clearly stated on her reimbursement request, and the record indicates that department personnel gave it some scrutiny.

Brown submitted a $100 check made out to the “Jackson ’88 campaign” from Management Control Systems Co., an accounting firm she owns, as proof of payment. Handwritten notes on the records indicate that accounting personnel asked her to supply both front and back copies of the check.

She included a flyer for the campaign event that listed sponsoring politicians and other Jackson supporters.

Submitted Handwritten Note

In August, Brown received a $35 reimbursement after submitting a handwritten note to accounting officials saying she had attended a “salute to Vincent” sponsored by the “Hispanic community” but had no documentation because her ticket was collected at the dinner.

She also was reimbursed after submitting an invitation to a June “Educators for Jesse Jackson fund raiser and social” indicating she made a $10 cash donation.

Eckles said that as a newly elected city treasurer, Brown was apparently not aware of city policy and state laws that forbid using taxpayer money for political purposes.

Brown also pointed out that she is a newcomer to the job and said it was up to finance officials to inform her if she made improper reimbursement requests.

Brown, 44, was elected in 1987 to the part-time treasurer position, which involves overseeing the investment of city funds and pays $2,700 annually. She defeated H. Stanley Jones in a runoff election with Vincent’s backing, ending Jones’ 24-year tenure.

Though the city treasurer’s signature appears on city reimbursement checks, Rives said, handling them is primarily the responsibility of the Finance Department, which is under the city manager, he said.

Additional $150 in Charges

Brown’s expenditure records show she has charged the city an additional $150 for attending a variety of luncheons and other events, including banquets and fashion shows sponsored by sororities and other nonpolitical clubs.

Although Brown said those events are not directly related to her role of overseeing the city’s investment portfolio, she said many of them are benefits for worthwhile causes and she feels justified in charging them to the taxpayers.

“I’m trying to be involved in a whole range of community events,” she said. “I’m trying to be interested in more than just facts and figures.”

Eckles said that the city generally leaves it up to elected officials to determine whether an expense has an appropriate city purpose.

“In the end, the record is out there for everybody to see,” Eckles said.

City records on Brown’s spending were not readily available, however. On Oct. 11, a Finance Department official responding to a Times request made Oct. 4 for Brown’s travel expenditure records said repeatedly that there was no travel information in Brown’s file, and that Brown had apparently not received any such reimbursements.

After Eckles was contacted by a reporter, Eckles and Finance Director Rives said that the missing records, which contained reimbursement documents for travel and other expenses, had turned up. They blamed an error by accounting personnel for the confusion.

Brown said she was unaware that the records were missing.