Councilmen Cleared to Keep Event Tickets
Mayor Fred Hunter, whose acceptance of free Disneyland tickets could disqualify him from future voting on issues affecting the Walt Disney Co., said Tuesday that the City Council has been cleared to keep its season tickets to the California Angels, Los Angeles Rams and Convention Center events.
Hunter said the council was advised by the city attorney in closed session that the sports tickets and admissions to Convention Center events are not subject to state conflict-of-interest regulations because the events are held in city-owned facilities.
The mayor had proposed last week a ban on all complimentary tickets provided to the council after reports filed by three council members, including Hunter, showed that they had accepted more tickets as gifts from Disneyland than allowed by state law.
State law bars officials who accept more than $250 in gifts in a year from voting on issues involving the donor for a year.
Hunter and council members Irv Pickler and Bob D. Simpson, according to their reports, far surpassed the state-mandated limits. The three had accepted a total exceeding $8,000 in Disney gifts.
Hunter also said Tuesday that he and his fellow council members have ceased to accept Disneyland tickets.
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