Rules Offered on Influence of Lobbyists

Elected officials would be banned from voting on issues involving lobbyists who serve as their paid political advisors under a proposal Tuesday by the president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

Citing concerns over undue influence by insiders, Commission President Miriam Krinsky also proposed that lobbyists be prohibited from raising money for elected officials.

At a meeting Tuesday, the commission directed its staff to draft a written report on both plans.

Krinsky, a federal prosecutor, said she is convinced both rules are needed.

“It would ensure that the process is one where there aren’t some individuals gaining uneven access to elected officials by virtue of financial relationships,” Krinsky said.

The proposals were made after The Times reported two-thirds of Los Angeles City Council members have used paid political consultants who double as lobbyists seeking their vote for clients, which some political reform advocates believe gives the legislative advocates undue influence.

Longtime lobbyist and political consultant Steve Afriat told the commission Tuesday he supports the existing disclosure rules that let the public know who is lobbying and working for elected officials.

“Instead of changing the culture, you want to plug a leak in the bucket. All you are going to do is spring another leak,” Afriat said.

The Ethics Commission released a report Tuesday charting the growing influence of lobbyists at City Hall. The report, written by commission senior analyst Renee A. Stadel, indicated lobbyists and their employers had disclosed making, delivering or serving as intermediary for $634,326 in political contributions last year--five times the amount they contributed in 1995.

The number of registered lobbyists has increased 31% since 1995, and “reported spending by lobbyists to influence city decisions has nearly tripled in that time, from $3.6 million to $10.4 million,” the report said.

“The potential to generate a large volume of campaign contributions by orchestrating fund-raising could lead to undue influence or its appearance by lobbyists over elected officials,” Stadel said.

The report also showed that 13 lobbyists reported receiving $415,423 in the past five years as compensation from candidates and ballot-measure committees to provide campaign management, fund-raising and other political services.

“Paid political consultants have a special relationship with their clients,” Krinsky said, “and we need to be careful not to allow lobbyists to market that relationship, not to market it to potential clients as has been done in the past, and not to market it in a way that restricts the access of other lobbyists to that same elected official.”

Commissioner Terrance Fleming also voiced concerns about the current system.

“I’m very troubled that a lobbyist is a business and there is no reason a lobbyist would make a contribution unless there was something in it for their business,” Fleming said. “I think what the politicians are saying is help me out of this, help me not have some undue influence, let me be as objective as possible.”

Commissioner Dale Bonner said he has not seen evidence that such an ordinance is needed. Bonner said he needs to see proof that lobbyists who raise money or work as political consultants are gaining undue influence.

“No matter what we do, this is part of the democratic system,” he said.

Representatives of the lobbying community also testified against the new regulations Tuesday, saying they are not justified.

“While lobbyists who are active and raise money and have a great presence in this building do have access probably greater than the average citizen, so do many other people and many other organizations,” Afriat said.

He suggested that if the city regulates paid political consultants, it may create a greater problem if some lobbyists instead work as unpaid political consultants or fund-raisers for those they lobby.

Attorney Jim Sutton, who has represented lobbyists in the past, told the commission there is no proof that undue influence is being exerted.

“There has never been any study that linked campaign contributions to decisions,” Sutton told the commission.

He warned the commission to consider how any new regulations might affect the free speech rights of lobbyists.

“Lobbying is basically a 1st Amendment right,” he said.