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New transparency ordered for LA County payouts to executives
Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Topline:
L.A. County supervisors ordered staff on Tuesday to create a public dashboard of settlements between the county and its executives, including their names, settlement amounts, approval dates and links to the agreements. The unanimous action also directed that going forward, the county will make sure all such settlements are reported to the public on meeting agendas after they’re finalized.
The reasoning: “Los Angeles County residents deserve full transparency into how their taxpayer dollars are spent — including on legal settlements,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who proposed the changes, said in a statement. “I will continue leading common-sense reforms that strengthen accountability and build trust with our communities.”
The backstory: LAist revealed in October that two months earlier, current county CEO Fesia Davenport had quietly gotten a $2 million settlement payment. Davenport’s settlement deal was labeled “confidential” and kept secret even though it’s required to be disclosed to the public upon request under state law.
Multiple payouts to execs: Davenport was one of several county executives to receive sizable settlement payouts over the past few years. Four additional county executives received payouts — including a $1.5 million payout to her predecessor — according to Davenport’s claims that led to her settlement.
Illegal gift allegations: A lawsuit filed last month alleges the payout to Davenport was an illegal gift of public funds because there was not a valid legal dispute. A lawyer for the county has called the suit “baseless,” saying the settlement served a “legitimate public purpose" by avoiding potential litigation.
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