Hawthorne Council to Fire City Attorney

Hawthorne City Atty. Michael Adamson has been notified that the City Council intends to fire him next month.

The council voted 4 to 1 Monday to notify Adamson of its intent to dismiss him at a public meeting March 25. Councilman Steven Andersen cast the dissenting vote, saying Adamson had “done a good job for the city.”

Council members declined to say why Adamson, a 17-year veteran of the city attorney’s office, was placed on paid leave and given 30 days notice of his dismissal.

“I don’t want to say anything that will jeopardize the process,” Mayor Larry Guidi said. Councilwoman Martha Bails said only that the council thought a change needed to be made.

The council named Assistant City Atty. Glen Shishido as acting city attorney.

Adamson, 48, said the council was motivated by his investigation of Councilwoman Ginny M. Lambert during her failed run for mayor in 1991.

“This is just a political vendetta,” Adamson said Monday. “They don’t feel they need any grounds to fire me. They just said they had lost trust and confidence in me.”

But Lambert and other council members said their action was not politically motivated.

“This is not sour grapes,” Lambert said.

In 1991, Adamson examined allegations by former Councilman David M. York that Lambert had violated state laws by privately lobbying the Planning Commission to postpone a vote on a condominium project. Lambert lost the mayoral race to current Councilman Steve Andersen by 34 votes.

In turn, Lambert said Adamson’s probe conflicted with his obligation to represent her as a member of the City Council. She said the investigation was intended to undermine her campaign.

In 1992, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office reviewed the dispute and found insufficient evidence to charge either Lambert or Adamson with a crime. In addition, the State Bar of California said Adamson did not violate any ethical standards in launching the investigation.

Adamson, who was hired in 1977 as an assistant city attorney and was promoted to city attorney in 1981, has 30 days to respond to the notice that the council intends to fire him. He said Tuesday he has not decided whether to do so.

The council also voted to remove a provision in its employment contracts with Adamson and City Manager James H. Mitsch. The contracts allowed the two officials to be paid for a percentage of their unused sick leave and vacation time.

Andersen abstained on the Adamson vote and was not present for the Mitsch vote.