Deputy Mayor Criticized by L.A. Officials

Two Los Angeles City Council members have sternly criticized one of Mayor James K. Hahn’s chief deputies for threatening to blackball a potential city contractor.

And, ratcheting up the pressure on the Hahn administration’s oversight of its airport department, Council members Jack Weiss and Cindy Miscikowski questioned whether Deputy Mayor Troy Edwards should continue in his post.

Weiss and Miscikowski wrote the mayor Feb. 6 that they were “outraged and embarrassed” by Edwards’ conduct, according to a letter obtained under the California Public Records Act.

They said Edwards told an employee of a city contractor that there was “no [expletive] way I’m going to hire you” if the employee engaged the Rand Corp. for a project. The think tank has been critical of the mayor’s $9-billion modernization plan for Los Angeles International Airport.

The council members’ letter came less than two weeks after Edwards was called to testify before the L.A. County Grand Jury, which is looking into possible corruption in the way the city’s airport department handles lucrative outside contracts.

Edwards, who previously worked as a fundraiser for Hahn’s mayoral campaign, serves as his liaison to the airport and harbor departments. He was also in charge of helping the mayor appoint citizen commissioners to oversee the city’s departments.

He would not comment Tuesday, and Hahn’s spokeswoman, Shannon Murphy, said the mayor’s office would not discuss the letter. She said the mayor continued to support Edwards.

“Mayor Hahn thinks that Troy is a talented person,” Murphy said. “Troy brings a lot to the Hahn administration.”

Miscikowski and Weiss also declined to discuss the matter. But in their letter, the two criticized Edwards for his conduct at a Feb 5. meeting with representatives of the Rand Corp. to discuss airport security. Rand had earlier criticized security aspects in the mayor’s modernization plan for LAX.

According to the letter, Weiss later verified the threat directly with the individual to whom it was made. The letter does not name the employee.

Officials from Rand would not comment.