Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA May Finally Rein In Developers Looking To Influence City Hall
After an Ethics Commission vote, L.A. City Councilmembers are set to weigh in on whether new restrictions on political spending in the City of Los Angeles will move forward. (File photo by Orlando Contreras López/flickr Creative Commons)
()
After a long delay, L.A.'s Ethics Commissioners voted Tuesday to recommend the city council enact significant limits on political contributions.
The panel voted to support new rules that would restrict many developers and businesses from making donations to L.A. officials and impose a host of new restrictions on money raised by politicians who solicit donations for their favored causes.
The set of recommendations that the commission voted on was based on a lengthy report prepared by commission staff.
Tuesday's vote is a big step forward for campaign finance reform efforts. The recommendations will now move to the L.A. City Council Rules Committee, which is chaired by Council President Herb Wesson.
Support for LAist comes from
A similar motion was brought forward in the City Council more than two years ago but failed to gain traction.
Ryu has been pushing for reform to campaign finance laws in Los Angeles since his election in 2015. He declined developer contributions during his campaign.
The recommendations voted on Tuesday include potentially dramatic changes to the rules governing so-called behested payments.
In 2017, KPCC found that Mayor Eric Garcetti had set a record for his use of the little-known and, at the time, largely unregulated method of fundraising. Garcetti used the mechanism to raise $31.9 million in large donations to his favored causes from individuals, businesses and foundations -- a number that has grown since that time.
The ethics commissioners recommended lowering the reporting threshold, currently set at $5,000, to just $1,000. If approved, that move has the potential to uncover a wave of solicited donations that were previously shielded from public view.
Other recommended changes include a ban on behested payments from "restricted sources," which includes lobbyists and people bidding on city contracts, along with increased disclosure requirements.
The ethics commission's votes come in the midst of an FBI probe into possible corruption at City Hall, which has brought renewed attention to charitable donations solicited by politicians.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The landslide is not connected to the greater Portuguese Bend landslide, city officials said. -
Nom. Nom. Nom. The event destroyed the internet when it was first announced — and sold out in minutes. -
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Best of LAist