For Immediate Release: April 17, 2024
Contact: Nancy Jackson (213) 978-1960
The The Ethics Commission resolved six enforcement cases at its meeting today, by unanimously approving stipulated orders and imposing fines totaling $70,000. The orders address violations of the City’s governmental ethics and lobbying laws, which are designed to help ensure fair, equitable, and transparent government.
Leslie Moonves (Moonves), the former Chief Executive Officer of CBS Broadcasting, Inc. (CBS), admitted to aiding and abetting the disclosure and misuse of confidential City information related to a police complaint. Moonves also admitted to inducing a former police captain to misuse his City position to attempt to create a private advantage for Moonves. Moonves was fined the maximum penalty of $15,000.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Susie Shannon (Shannon), the policy director for AHF’s Housing is a Human Right, admitted that they failed to comply with the City’s lobbying registration and reporting requirements. Shannon failed to register as a lobbyist for 2023, and both she and AHF failed to file disclosure reports for that year. AHF was fined $10,000, and Shannon was fined $12,500.
Western States Regional Council of Carpenters (WSRCC) and its former political director Derek Mazzeo (Mazzeo) admitted that they failed to comply with the City’s lobbying laws. Mazzeo failed to register as a lobbyist for 2023, failed to file three disclosure reports for that year, and made prohibited political contributions. By failing to identify Mazzeo as one of its lobbyists, WSRCC filed three inaccurate disclosure reports in 2023. WSRCC was fined $7,500, and Mazzeo was fined $12,500.
Finally, Richard Jacobs (Jacobs) and RDJ Advisors, LLC, a firm whose sole owner and employee is Jacobs, admitted that they failed to register as a lobbyist and a lobbying firm and failed to file disclosure reports for 2023. They were fined $12,500.
“The Ethics Commission is committed to enforcing the city’s laws regarding transparent and impartial government,” said Jeffery Daar, the commission’s president. “Those who are complicit in the misuse of confidential information or the misuse of a City position will be held accountable. Those who fail to inform the public of their lobbying efforts will also be held accountable.”
Additional details regarding each case are provided through the meeting agenda. All fines levied by the Ethics Commission are paid to the City’s general fund. Approved enforcement orders can be viewed and searched through the Ethics Commission’s Public Data Portal.
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The Ethics Commission was created by Los Angeles voters in 1990 to impartially administer and enforce the City’s governmental ethics, campaign financing, and lobbying laws.