L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Soliciting Donations to Pay For Ethics Violations Fines Related to Ticketgate

By Dennis Romero Wed., Apr. 27 2011 at 1:57 PM

Villaraigosa and his children at the Oscars.

We likened the $42,000 in fines Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will have to pay for accepting valuable sports and entertainment tickets from folks who do business with City Hall to a light slap on the wrist.

Well, it looks like the mayor will don kid gloves as his hand is being disciplined with a feather's touch, because he might not actually pay a penny out of his own pocket.

Jack Humphreville reports at CityWatch that Mayor V. has started raising funds to pay the fines. Yep, he wants you (well, not you, but probably more like some of those very same corporate interests who gave him the tix in the first place) to suffer for him. Humphreville:

To facilitate the fund raising effort, our Ever So Clever Mayor has established three Legal Defense Funds: one for the City Ethics Commission and another for the California Fair Practices Political Commission. However, the third Legal Defense Fund relates to the inquiry by the District Attorney who does not appear to be a party to the Settlement Agreement.
And not one to miss an opportunity to tap those ring kissers who can benefit from a well placed friend at City Hall, the Mayor is also soliciting "donations" to his Officeholder Account, essentially his personal slush fund.

Humphreville got a hold of a letter seeking donations for the mayor's blunder. It reads:

We opened legal defense funds on behalf of the Mayor to pay the penalties and his legal bills. Of course, we cannot accept donations from lobbyists or lobbying firms registered with the City, or from MTA contractors. But I was hoping that you might help us raise funds from other sources.

We love the spin, too, with the letter noting that the mayor's ticket gluttony was "unintentional" (didn't he keep going to events even after reporters started asking him questions about whether it was ethical to take four-digit tickets?) and that "the penalty is quite modest."

Mmm. Modest indeed. Sort of like the per capita income in L.A. County: $26,983. (Well, that's even more modest, we would suggest).

In other news, we're starting a legal defense fund for a recent bullshit ticket we received from the city. If mayor V. can break the rules without having to pay the cost, why should the rest of us suffer?

Tags:

City Hall, ethics, fines, fundraising, lobbying, Los Angeles, ticketgate, tickets, Villaraigosa

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'Deadwood'

Just think of how much City worker time is spent processing his freebees, and responding and covering up his transgressions.

Let him serve 42 furlough days for these transgressions!

DerailAmnesty.com

Soliciting gifts to pay off penalties for having improperly received gifts. No wonder Antonio was able to stare out at a sea of illegal alien families and publicly pronounce "There are no criminals here!"

Brett Hampton

This is both outrageous and sad. Outrageous that Mayor Do-Nothing could completely avoid the consequences of his actions, and sad that saps out there will probably give him the money to be able to do so.

Lightnapper

The really bad news-- he was elected by the people-- those who bothered to cast a vote-- those who didn't break an axle in a Villaraigosa's ego-sized pothole while on the way to LA's Pathetic Polls. And the dumbies will do it again...and again. Trust me we have not seen the last of Tricky Tony Taco. Comprende?

woodymcbreairty

Appropriately descriptive words escape me when I try to describe the sleazy image that comes to mind when I see or hear tell of this man. Although he may be the kind of person who seeks political office for grandiose and self serving reasons, he takes tacky and distasteful to a new level. I cannot imagine that he could be reelected to higher political office without becoming a laughing stock, although I feel sure he could never be convinced of that. Woody McBreairty

Mikijackson

Too funny Patrick. Makes the point that the fines for politicos should not be able to be paid with even more fishy political donations. They are also way too low. Fines should be for the full retail cost of the tickets and other freebies plus 25%. No pain no enforcement. Otherwise this just becomes a City run "Groupon" discount drive. $200,000+ in goodtimes for $42,000 - any takers?

Robert

Thanks LA Weekly. Jack writes some great stuff and isn't afraid to put it out there. Can you believe the hypocrisy in asking for funds not for a worthy cause, not for anything but selfish, arrogance because the Failure of a Mayor was unethical? HE has not conscience and is such a dumb ass he probably can't see what is so wrong he even asking.