Mayoral Ticket Scandal: Villaraigosa's Office Claims He Didn't Have Actual Seats To Some Events
Politics is sometimes the fine art of b.s. In the case of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's tickets scandal, you have to trust your nose. His camp has stated that the mayor can accept valuable tickets without reporting the source and value, as required with other gifts, because he goes to events to work as L.A.'s leader. He's not there to party, people.
Deputy Mayor Matt Szabo (also special assistant in charge of strangely coiffed eyebrows) says that, in some cases, Mayor V. simply stepped into a venue, performed official duties (he's been known to present an official city certificate to VIPs) and left:
"The thing is, in many of those cases," he said, Villaraigosa "was provided access to an event -- not to a seat which would have a ticket that you or I would normally buy.''
(Strange, because we've seen him at Lakers games and entertainment awards shows with his girlfriend or daughter, and they didn't seem to be in it for a five-minute presentation).
"He was provided access to an event to provide a presentation or some other kind of service and so there was no ticket, there was no physical ticket,'' Szabo said. "He was provided access, performed his duty, and then left.''
Right.
Read the Weekly's look at Villaraigosa's "free-ticket spree" here.
-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us.
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