Judge Rules Ex-Councilman Snyder Must Stand Trial

After months of legal scrimmaging, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday that former Los Angeles Councilman Arthur K. Snyder must stand trial for allegedly using hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to curry influence as a lobbyist.

Rejecting efforts by Snyder and several co-defendants to derail the case, Judge John Ouderkirk found that a grand jury indictment handed down this year was proper and that there is evidence the former lawmaker used his Downtown law and lobbying practice in a criminal conspiracy.

“The motivation and goal was to gain influence for Arthur Snyder and his firm to be used with various political figures,” Ouderkirk said.

Evidence in the case indicates that employees of the law firm used cash to improperly reimburse “straw man donors” to politicians, the judge said.

It was a crucial victory for the district attorney’s office and the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which see the Snyder case as a groundbreaking effort to police fund-raising practices in Southern California.

“We’re very, very pleased,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Gail Ehrlich said outside the courtroom. “It means egregious violations [of the Political Reform Act] may be prosecuted.”

The normally gregarious Snyder, a storied and often-controversial City Hall insider for three decades, appeared shaken and fumbled for words as he emerged from Ouderkirk’s court. “Disappointed,” he said to reporters before they asked a question. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Snyder, 62, and his attorney, Mark Geragos, said they would appeal Friday’s ruling. “If worse comes to worst, we’ll have a trial, and we’ll see,” Snyder said.