City Ethics Panel Fines Bernson $3,000

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission ratified a settlement Monday in which City Councilman Hal Bernson will pay a $3,000 fine for improperly accepting an excess amount of free legal services from the law firm of City Hall lobbyist Neil Papiano.

The commission also voted to approve a stipulated settlement in which Papiano’s law firm agreed to pay $4,000 in fines for providing Bernson with legal services and contributions that exceeded the limit by $4,700.

“We believe the proposed stipulation and fine are fair and appropriate,” said Luis Lavin, the head of enforcement for the panel.

Commissioner Dale Bonner questioned the law firm’s claim that it did not know its legal representation of Bernson in a separate ethics issue could be considered a campaign contribution.

Papiano and other members of his law firm provided legal services to Bernson in 1997 when the councilman was fined $1,500 for improperly using his political officeholder account to buy season tickets to the Hollywood Bowl.

Commission President Miriam Krinsky voiced concerns about potential conflicts of interest in having law firms representing the city--Papiano’s has had a contract with the Community Redevelopment Agency--while also representing elected officials in matters adverse to the city, such as an ethics case.