4 L.A. councilmen fined $13,300 for taking free tickets to Hollywood events

Four members of the Los Angeles City Council have agreed to pay a combined $13,300 in fines for receiving free tickets to various Hollywood award shows and dinners over the last four years, according to agreements reached with the city's Ethics Commission.

In separate deals that come up for a vote Tuesday, Councilmen Tony Cardenas, Eric Garcetti, Jose Huizar and Herb Wesson will admit they violated a city law that prohibits them from accepting gifts of more than $100 a year from "restricted sources" -- individuals and groups that have business pending before the city.

The financial penalties are the first to surface since state officials announced last week that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had agreed to pay state and city regulators a fine of nearly $42,000 over his acceptance of tickets to 34 separate events, including Los Angeles Lakers games, Los Angeles Dodgers games and concerts featuring such performers as Shakira and the Spice Girls.

That fine, issued in tandem with the Ethics Commission, was considered to be the largest of its kind for the state's Fair Political Practices Commission, according to that agency's executive director. The commission is scheduled to vote Monday on its share of the fine.

Of the four fines negotiated with L.A. council members, the largest will be received by Garcetti, who agreed to pay $4,800. He accepted free entry to the Governors Ball that accompanied the Academy Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards in 2007, the same year that his father was a member of the Ethics Commission. He also took tickets to the 2008 Academy Awards ceremony and Governors Ball -- but attempted to pay $700 of that ticket's value two years later, according to a report prepared on the fine.

Although Garcetti faced a maximum penalty of $15,000, Ethics Commission investigators offered a reduced amount, noting that the councilman said he misunderstood the city's gift laws as they related to award shows. He also believed he was paying the "full value" of the gifts at the time he received them, the Ethics Commission's report said.

Garcetti, who represents part of Hollywood, said in a statement that he thought the $1,800 he paid in 2007 covered not just the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards but the Governors balls that were held afterward.

"While I paid the full cost of the award show tickets, I messed up when it came to the dinners afterward," he said. "That's my mistake and I'm personally paying for the cost of these three dinners to clear it up."

The next largest fine was issued to Wesson, who reached an agreement to pay $3,900 over his receipt of four free tickets to each of the BET Awards shows held in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium.

Cardenas agreed to pay $2,500 over his acceptance of two free tickets to the 2008 Emmy Awards, gifts that have a value of $1,300 each, according to the Ethics Commission. Huizar's lawyers agreed to pay $2,100 for taking two Academy Awards tickets.

Fines also have been proposed for the donors of the tickets, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has lobbied the city in recent years over a development project in Hollywood and a plan to lease nine parking garages. That organization has reached an agreement to pay a $13,250 penalty.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is set to pay $7,900. Black Entertainment Television Networks, which stages the BET Awards, is scheduled to pay a $3,900 fine. Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre, has agreed to pay the city $799.

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-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Left photo: Councilman Tony Cardenas. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

Second from left photo: Councilman Eric Garcetti. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Second from right photo: Councilman Jose Huizar. Credit: Kirk McCoy / Los Angeles Times

Right photo: Councilman Herb Wesson. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Akaneke]

"Wow Huziar...I am schocked--Wasn't he just re-elected. People really need to know who they vote for. Rudy Martinez was the clear choice. Sorry you voted for Huziar."

What rock are you living under. You've obvioulsy don't know Rudy Martinez personally. Not to say that Huizar is any better, but Rudy is a no good crook and I'm very happy he lost the election. Now if we could only get a truly honest person in there, that would be great, but honesty isn't in the political dictionary.

[Hobo with a Shotgun]

What about the 36 free tickets that the District of Columbia mayor and city council get to every event at the Verizon Center?

[Jim]

Garcetti is a weenie who wants to be mayor and then governor. He's the typical liberal politician who accepts political bribes from unions, other politicians, etc.

[Color Me Gone]

If every politician had to undergo a thorough background check and then be reviewed each year they hold office by a nonpartisan ethics committee no one would care to run. If you can't get away with bribes, graft and corruption there would be no point.

[ibocaj]

Really, let's get serious. How is taking free tickets just above Robert Rizzo? The council members didn't lie to up their pensions. Let's clarify for those that don't understand, the film and television industry is the largest industry driving the economy in Los Angeles. So for a council member who represents that part of the city to go to the Academy and Emmy awards is not that big of a stretch.

[Topher]

"Removed and placed in jail"? For "violat[ing] the law"? Yeah. Let's do that to all politicians that meet that criteria. Then the vast majority of Republicans will be out of office. I love this idea. Let's do it.

[William S.]

The politicians who keep demanding more money from us, don't hesitate to take money/tickets/gifts on bribes when it benefits them. These are the incumbents who continue to get re-elected. It shocks me as a disgruntled voter. If we want change, we have to vote these creeps out. What's wrong with the voting public? Get rid of these people and start over. It starts from the goof ball mayor down.

[DVG]

A fine? How about putting them on probation and the next time it happens they lose their jobs?

[Kenneth Howell]

A step in the right direction. Now felony convictions for discretionary funds ,or whatever they call their fraudulent behavior.

[John]

So why aren't these guys, esp the 'willie the grocer' mayor in LA, being PROSECUTED !!! They are the reps of the people. At the very least they should be stripped of the positions in the government, banned from EVER holding another government job, and lose their pensions, Corruption means they cannot be trusted and have violated policies. These are not Minor infractions but outright corruptions !!!!

[LOU]

The facts LAcity council paid $179k per year,plus COLA and perks: Bernard Parks LAPD pension $268k per year and the $179k from City council, Mike Antonovish one of 6 granted a CCw from sheriff BACA, thousands of others rejected.
;

[cityworker]

I'm sure if they keep digging they will keep finding more illegal activity.

[Corrupt-O-Crats]

All Democrats... Imagine that !!!!!!

[Herb Tea]

Well - we keep electing these fools...

If most of us in the private sector did this to our company, or with our company funds, we would be FIRED and finding ourselves in the unemployment lines with 15% of our fellow Californians....

This is more of the "same old, same old" - politics hasnt changed in years and their leader, Mayor Villaregosa, has been given a record fine for the same issue. They are all the same - and we continue to elect them...

[Tim Rhianna]

They should all go to jail and forfeit their salaries. And we wonder why this country is in trouble. ALL POLITICIANS ARE THIEFS AND LIARS

[Joan 2nd]

Corruption of our leaders is nothing new, but it has gotten out of hand with new breed of people we are electing. Their conscience is only their bank accounts.

[D]

A combined fine? Misunderstood the law? Priceless....

[jay]

Is corruption legal now in Los Angeles?

[Rolando Vasquez]

I don't agree with the penalties these people are being forced to accept. I think it is important for these individuals to attend the events that are going on in their own city and for them to be seen at these events. They are the "face" of the city just as much as the mayor is. When special guests come from out of town, these representatives of the city need to be able to attend without having to pay for attending; if anything, we should be glad they are not asking to be paid their hourly wage for attending some of these events on top of the ticket costs. In many cases, they would not be attending if it were not for the fact they need to be there. The city will not or should not pay for their tickets, why shouldn't the promoters pick up the cost? The kind of money you are talking about is "chump change" compared to what these type of events cost in other cities like New York City. I bet in the future, they will not attend any of these affairs and that is a shame.

[Rolando Vasquez]

Secondly, this article makes it appear as though these 4 people should be hanging their head low in shame because they have done something wrong. They are serving their voters. Stop making it look like they have done anything wrong!

[Vern Collins]

Is this an example of Pelosi and Boxer trickle down politics?

[Gee]

Only in Los Angeles, do Council members violate the law that they new existed. and get to keep there JOBS. Only in L.A.

[Mcgibby]

Metropat, your stupidity is scary.

[Mcgibby]

Hey, let's not forget the organizations that are doing the bribing: these companies should be blacklisted from bidding on city projects permanently. If you don't hit them hard now, they will never learn...this will continue.

[56 year old tax payer]

Where is the justice and equality for ALL?

When will we as citizens get a discount on a fine, NEVER!! I am 56 years old and I have no knowledge of "anyone" getting a discount or reduced fine, you hear of this treatment only for government officals and its all the time, Federal, State, County and City...Why is there a adjustable downward sliding scale of justice & equality for some and not the others, well I guess you have to be a "Civil Servant, or Government Official" and not a regular citizen to get that deal. Ive heard of getting a break, especially when you've cleaned up your act, or its your first offense regarding a minor issue but this isnt the case. Tell me where discounted fines are being offered to the average joe who breaks the law becasue if I do break a law, I want to get a discount on the fine like these guys.