Ethics Panel OKs Proposal to Limit Ties to Lobbyists

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission gave final approval Wednesday to proposed rules that would bar elected officials from voting on issues involving lobbyists who also serve as their political consultants or fund-raisers.

The new regulations, which will be considered by the City Council, also would apply to issues involving lobbyists who have made donations to nonprofit organizations at the officials’ behest.

The recommended rules were welcomed by campaign reform advocates, including Jim Knox, executive director of the watchdog group California Common Cause.

“It’s an important reform,” Knox said. “Lobbyists are afforded additional leverage when they work as campaign consultants for the people they lobby.”

However, the new rules are expected to face a chillier reception from City Council members whose actions would be limited by the measures.

Council President Alex Padilla would not commit to a position on the proposals. “We will give them full consideration,” he said.

Councilman Nick Pacheco said he might be able to live with the rules but questioned whether they would infringe on 1st Amendment free speech issues.

One of the rules was proposed after The Times reported that Pacheco asked lobbyists to contribute thousands of dollars to a nonprofit group that he set up after his election. The Times also reported in February that two-thirds of the City Council members had hired political consultants who later returned to City Hall to lobby on behalf of other clients.

“We have heard over the last couple of years now that there are concerns about certain relationships that are forged and certain financial contributions--whether those are influencing access by some to city government,” said Commission President Miriam Krinsky.

The proposed rules would require greater disclosure of fund-raising by lobbyists and prohibit council members from acting on contracts involving firms and their principals that have contributed $1,000 or more to their campaigns.

“They have some real teeth to them in terms of ensuring that when relationships are forged there will be consequences,” Krinsky said, “and that necessarily will lead to a reduction of access.”

Commissioner Dale Bonner sought unsuccessfully to delay a vote, saying there may be better ways to address concerns about lobbyists’ having undue influence.

He suggested the public might be better served if the Ethics Commission graded council members annually on their ethics, giving them negative marks based on the number of violations they commit.

“We can ask public officials to disclose five more things, but that’s not going to make the public think things are cleaner today than they were yesterday,” Bonner said.

Lobbyist Steve Afriat opposed the proposed ban, saying it would force lobbyists to give up paid campaign consulting.

Afriat also said the new rules may do harm by discouraging lobbyists from raising money for committees created for the public good but controlled by council members. He cited committees that raised money for parks and Fire Department bond measures as examples.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated action, the Ethics Commission also voted Wednesday to approve $18,500 in fines against Councilman Hal Bernson for accepting political contributions in excess of city limits.