Donation to Mayor Spurs Conflict-of-Interest Complaint

Pasadena Mayor William M. Paparian’s acceptance of a campaign contribution has prompted a complaint to the state political watchdog agency accusing him of possibly violating conflict-of-interest laws.

Burbank resident Charles Lombardo said he has asked the Fair Political Practices Commission to examine whether it was a violation of state law for the mayor to accept a $2,000 campaign contribution in May 1994 from Pasadena-based Parsons Corp.

The FPPC does not confirm whether complaints have been filed or what action has been taken.

The contribution came nine days after Paparian and other members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority board voted to begin negotiations with a partnership that included Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Corp. on a multimillion-dollar contract to manage the airport expansion project, according to Lombardo’s complaint. Parsons Infrastructure is part of Parsons Corp., a company spokeswoman said.

“I just want the FPPC to look into propriety or impropriety of accepting the donation,” said Lombardo, an opponent of the airport expansion. “This is a public body and the members are accountable for their actions.”

Paparian is one of Pasadena’s appointees to the nine-member board that oversees the jointly operated airport. The board consists of three members each from Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank.

At the center of the controversy is a complex state law that makes it legal for elected officials to accept donations, but makes the same action by an appointee illegal under certain circumstances.

An elected public official who has been appointed to a board or commission is forbidden under state law to receive more than $250 from an organization or individual for three months after a vote involving that contributor, said Gary Huckaby, spokesman for the commission. In general, Huckaby said a council member can accept donations from firms and vote on its contracts, but when a council member is also an appointee of a commission the appointee rules apply.

Huckaby said each violation of the state Political Reform Act is misdemeanor that carries a $2,000 fine.

Paparian did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

“It was a legal contribution,” said Diane Bossert, Parsons Corp.’s manager of community relations. She said the company’s legal counsel concluded that the contribution did not violate the law and the firm sees it as just another contribution to a local politician in the city where the firm is based.

She said the company has made numerous donations to Paparian over his years on the City Council. Some of the airport’s commissioners have sought to formulate a conflict-of-interest policy for the board. But airport Commissioner Ingolf Klenger, one of Burbank’s appointees, said those efforts have been stifled by Paparian.

Although Paparian voted on beginning contract negotiations in 1994 with BGP Associates--the partnership that includes Parsons Infrastructure--for managing the $235-million airport extension, he did not vote on its execution last month.

But at the Aug. 5 airport board meeting, Paparian seconded the motion to execute the agreement for managing construction, but left the room before a vote took place, minutes show.

FPPC officials say appointed officials also cannot participate in issues involving donors who made contributions in the last year. Paparian and his Mayor’s Fund received several donations from high-ranking employees of BGP Associates in the last year.