LA City Council members look to establish Office of Compliance

In an attempt to increase public trust, two Los Angeles City Council members introduced a motion Wednesday seeking to establish an Office of Compliance, with staff and resources to help identify potential conflicts of interest in advance of any votes.

Council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Nithya Raman introduced the motion, which calls for a study on creating an Office of Compliance. It was seconded by Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilwoman Traci Park.

“To earn and maintain the trust of the public, it is crucial for elected officials to abide by rigorous ethics standards and avoid conflicts of interest, yet there have been a number of violations in recent years,” the motion reads.

Council members must follow ethics rules and laws such as those imposed by the City Charter, state and federal laws. According to the council members, those standards have increased and grown in complexity over the years, making compliance more difficult.

The City Attorney’s Office provides legal advice on conflicts of interest and other issues and the city’s Ethics Commission provides advice on ethical and other issues. But the motion states, “Council members need additional assistance identifying agenda items that might raise conflict of interest questions.”

The office would review financial disclosure and other forms, as well as council and committee agendas to identify any potential conflicts of interest.

According to the motion, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which enforces air quality regulations across Southern California, and LA Metro have staff members who review agendas for conflicts of interest. Those staff members offer elected officials specialized guidance to avoid any issues.

Officials might look to these models as they consider best practices and compare other systems in major cities or other government agencies, they said.

The City Council has been rocked by a number of ethics scandals and accusations in recent years. Former Councilman José Huizar pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and one count of tax evasion, after a six-year probe of suspected corruption in City Hall politics.

In August, former Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison after he was found guilty of seven felony counts for participating in a scheme in which he received benefits from USC for himself and his son while he had a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

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