{"id":1555,"date":"2024-05-14T15:30:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T22:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/california\/?post_type=press&p=1555"},"modified":"2024-08-13T13:03:22","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T20:03:22","slug":"breaking-l-a-ethics-reform-gutted-city-council-upholds-status-quo","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/california\/press\/breaking-l-a-ethics-reform-gutted-city-council-upholds-status-quo\/","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: L.A. Ethics Reform Gutted, City Council Upholds Status-Quo"},"template":"","class_list":["post-1555","press","type-press","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"After years of unrelenting scandal, the City Council reaffirms it should still police itself","featured_image":"","press_type":false,"authors":"","related_issues":false,"related_work":false,"location":3},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

After years of unrelenting scandal, the City Council reaffirms it should still police itself<\/i><\/strong><\/h4>\r\n
LOS ANGELES<\/b>\u00a0\u2014 Today, the Los Angeles City Council gutted the ethics reforms it has been working on\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0months, deciding the ultimate authority on ethics matters will remain in the City Council's hands. Deviating from the recommendations and best practices of academics and democracy reform advocates, the City Council voted in favor of amendments that will deny the Ethics Commission the power to police the Council and effectively enforce the City\u2019s ethics laws.<\/div>\r\n
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Specifically, the City Council voted in favor of\u00a0<\/b>amendments<\/a><\/b>\u00a0that effectively deny the Ethics Commission the autonomy and powers to conduct its critical business on behalf of the people and without Council supervision.<\/b><\/div>\r\n
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Since 2020, three L.A. councilmembers and a\u00a0for<\/span>mer deputy mayor were found guilty of or pleaded guilty to such\u00a0charges as bribery and lying to authorities<\/a>; another\u00a0councilmember was charged with embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest<\/a>; and yet another\u00a0stands accused of violating city ethics laws<\/a>. During the same period, three other councilmembers, including a\u00a0for<\/span>mer City Council president,\u00a0were caught on tape engaged in racist commentary<\/a>\u00a0as they discussed how to gerrymander council districts to their advantage.<\/div>\r\n
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\u201cThe Los Angeles City Council had a chance to turn the tide of corruption at City Hall and begin a new era in which L.A. residents could trust their local elected officials,\u201d said\u00a0Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause<\/b>. \u201cInstead they chose to uphold a broken, shameful status quo.\u201d<\/div>\r\n
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The push\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0ethics reform in Los Angeles has been led by Council President Krekorian and motivated by the endless cycle of scandals and corruption seen from City Council over the last five years, including the 2022 redistricting\u00a0scandal<\/a>\u00a0that shocked the nation and reignited the public\u2019s outcry\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0change. This spurred months of hearings, recommendations, and advocacy from community organizations,\u00a0including California Common Cause<\/a>, residents, community leaders, and academics. All parties advocated\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0meaningful reforms to help curb corruption in the City, until last-minute pushback from special interests. The proposals were informed by statewide best practices, evidence-based research, leadership from the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, and lessons learned from around the country.<\/div>\r\n
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\u201cThis is a disheartening setback, but we will not allow this to be the end of the road\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0ethics reform in Los Angeles,\u201d added\u00a0Stein<\/b>. \u201cCalifornia Common Cause is committed to helping realize an ethical city government that is deserving of Angelenos' trust and participation.\u201d<\/div>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_work","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_work":{"heading":"Work","manually_curate":false,"work":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: L.A. 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