McKeon Requests Federal Investigation of VOTE Bar

Calling it an “extremely serious matter,” Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon asked Thursday for a federal investigation into allegations that petition gatherers were barred from collecting signatures at Van Nuys Airport last weekend.

In a letter to U.S. Atty. Nora Manella, McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) said he is concerned that airport officials violated the federal rights of volunteers for Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment.

The group, known as Valley VOTE, is trying to collect enough signatures to prompt a study on the feasibility of the political secession of the San Fernando Valley from the city of Los Angeles.

The charges that the group was barred from the Van Nuys Aviation Expo are already being investigated by the city’s Department of Airports. The city attorney’s office has already reviewed the matter and determined the incident was caused by a miscommunication.

But McKeon said he believes it would be a potential conflict of interest for the city attorney or the Department of Airports to investigate the case since both agencies played a role in it.

According to Valley VOTE leaders, airport police and security officers barred the volunteers from the airport grounds based on legal advice from the city attorney’s office.

But representatives for City Atty. James K. Hahn say they advised airport officials to allow the petitioners onto the facility so long as the volunteers did not plan to establish an illegal exhibition booth.

“I am concerned that the city attorney’s office has a conflict of interest in this case, in view of indications it may have approved of the barring of the volunteers,” McKeon said in the letter to Manella.

A spokesman for Manella said McKeon’s request has been referred to the U.S. attorney’s Office of Legislative Affairs, where the request will be considered.

Jeff Brain, president of Valley VOTE, said he agrees that the incident should be investigated by an outside agency to avoid a conflict of interest.

“We do think it’s more appropriate to have state or federal officials investigate,” he said.