LOS ANGELES : Council Asks for Inquiry on Officeholder Funds

The Los Angeles City Council called on the Ethics Commission Tuesday to investigate council members’ officeholder accounts--even though the panel says it has been conducting such a review for months.

The council’s action, viewed as a political slap against Councilman Michael Woo, comes in response to questions about Woo’s use of officeholder account funds to underwrite travel expenses before he officially launched his mayoral bid.

Woo, who denies any impropriety, voted in favor of the council’s move, which was pushed by rivals Nate Holden and Joel Wachs. “I welcome the scrutiny,” he said.

However, Ben Bycel, executive director of the Ethics Commission, criticized the vote as redundant. “It’s like asking for the sun to come up in the morning,” he said.