Unravel the Family Ties

Last year, Sacramento was buzzing about Richie Ross, an influential lobbyist who also represented legislators as their campaign consultant. In one incident that outraged some lawmakers, Ross appeared to be threatening revenge against a legislator at the next election for refusing to vote with Ross’ lobbying clients on a bill. The Legislature tried to ban such dual relationships but couldn’t agree on a rule.

Today, the ethical cringing is over Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier) and her husband, political consultant Leo Briones, whose firm appears to have benefited as Escutia’s career progressed from freshman Assembly member to possible successor to John Burton (D-San Francisco) as Senate leader.

The Times’ Dan Morain reported Thursday that Briones’ firm, Centaur North Strategic Communications, had billed clients for $3.4 million since 1997. The customers included legislative candidates, initiative campaigns, corporations and public agencies. As Morain reported, Escutia regularly endorses political candidates and causes represented by Briones. Causes and candidates endorsed by Escutia often retain Briones, who was a TV journalist before he married Escutia.

Such family arrangements also infect Congress. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is notable. A Times story last month told how he introduced legislation that would benefit a close friend who employed two of Reid’s sons. Maybe the land-swap legislation was legitimate, but it’s hard to look past the relationships.

Escutia rejected the idea that her power got jobs for her husband. Not only is that hard to swallow, it’s beside the point. Elected officials ought to be able recognize situations that any nonpolitician would see as fishy.

It’s unclear whether a new rule could bar business relationships like that of Briones and Escutia. Unfortunately, no one can write a rule to prevent a public official, even one as otherwise capable as Escutia, from using bad judgment. If a legislator is paying campaign funds to her husband-lobbyist, as Escutia did, isn’t there just a bit of paperwork separating campaign contributions from, say, a new patio deck? There’s no indication anything like this happened, but couldn’t they sense a line being crossed?

Certainly the state Fair Political Practices Commission should get much tougher on legislators who don’t fully disclose their personal financial interests as required every year. Legislators must file yearly reports on a spouse’s sources of income. The records showed that Escutia failed to report a total of $540,000 since 1997. Briones said he neglected to inform her of all his clients. That’s no excuse.

Voters sick of deals like this seize on ineffective gimmicks such as term limits to fix the system. Legislators who then cry foul should look in the mirror more often.