City Council OKs Ethics Training for Appointees

Two weeks after a prominent commissioner resigned amid allegations of conflict of interest, the Los Angeles City Council on Friday voted to require one-hour training sessions on ethics for all citizen appointees each year.

Mayor Richard Riordan, who appoints about 200 residents to such boards and panels, endorsed the ethics training, but backed away from another suggestion that grew out of the incident involving Scott Z. Adler.

Adler, an attorney and lobbyist, is under investigation by police over an alleged conflict of interest involving a Koreatown bar owner he represented.

Council President John Ferraro had suggested the city abolish the practice of giving commissioners official badges because Adler--former president of the Building and Safety Commission--was accused of using his badge to impersonate a police officer while soliciting a 17-year-old prostitute. He has not been charged in connection with either allegation. Riordan said police and fire commissioners should be issued badges “because of the nature of their work, and the history and traditions of the departments they head.”