Ethics Panel to Study Limits on Lobbyists at City Hall

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission agreed Tuesday to consider barring elected officials from voting on issues involving lobbyists who also serve as their political consultants.

The commission will also consider restricting lobbyists’ contributions to candidates and fund-raising for them.

“We have mapped out what I’m sure will be an ambitious area to pursue, and I think it’s important,” said commission President Miriam Krinsky.

The commission directed its staff to research how to reduce undue influence by lobbyists and special interests at City Hall.

A major concern was the practice of political consultants doubling as City Hall lobbyists and attempting to influence the officials they help elect.

The Times reported last month that two-thirds of the City Council members have, at one time or another, hired political consultants who also worked as lobbyists seeking council votes.

“One could either restrict the lobbyist, or one could restrict the officeholder from voting on something that involves an individual that the officeholder has hired to work for them,” Krinsky said. “Those are both ways to deal with the issue.”

City Hall lobbyists contributed $219,831 to city candidates last year, including $72,911 to candidates for mayor, according to a new commission report. The report said lobbyists also delivered $222,620 in contributions to candidates, often from their clients.

City Atty. James K. Hahn, a candidate for mayor, received the most contributions from lobbyists, $22,835, followed by Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo, a candidate for city attorney, who received $22,581, the report said.

Councilman Mike Feuer, another candidate for city attorney, testified Tuesday on behalf of residents who seek access to City Hall but cannot afford lobbyists.

“Everybody should be able to effectively lobby their government,” Feuer told the panel. “When lobbyists contribute, and particularly when lobbyists fund-raise, there develops an inequality of access to elected officials, which is troubling.”

Later in the day, a spokesman for Feuer said a $1,000 contribution to the councilman from the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, which is registered to lobby at City Hall, will be returned. The spokesman said the contribution, which was disclosed in the commission report, had been accepted inadvertently.

The panel also agreed to revisit proposals that would prohibit lobbyists from fund-raising for political officeholder accounts, and prohibit city commissioners from fund-raising for city candidates.