LOS ANGELES : Council Candidate Asks Panel to Sponsor Debate

A candidate for City Council accused the city’s Ethics Commission this week of backing out on its commitment to hold debates before the election and require that all those who took public matching funds attend.

Michael Weinstein, who is running in the council’s 13th District, said candidates had to agree to attend a debate held or sponsored by the Ethics Commission as a condition of receiving taxpayer money. Such a high-profile event would force all candidates to debate the issues, Weinstein said.

The Ethics Commission said it lacks the resources to hold such debates, especially with so many candidates, and it imposed the condition only so candidates would agree to debate. The commission has received no accusations that any candidate has avoided community forums being held across the city, said Rebecca Avila, the commission’s deputy director.

Weinstein said he intends to file suit to compel the city to hold an official event. He called on local TV stations to devote an hour of air time if a city-sponsored debate is held.