Ethics Commission rejects Cardenas fine
The city's Ethics Commission today rejected a proposal for issuing a $2,050 fine for Councilman Tony Cardenas, saying the agency had been too lenient, considering that the councilman had received fines in previous campaigns.
The commission's investigators had determined that Cardenas failed to submit two scripts for automated campaign telephone calls during his 2007 reelection campaign and received three campaign contributions that exceeded the maximum $500 allowed under the city's election laws.
Commissioner Sean Treglia said Cardenas should have known better because he had been penalized during the City Council 2002 and 2003 elections. "We have a candidate here who, for whatever reason, cannot seem to get it right," Treglia said.
"Either this candidate needs to get a new treasurer or he needs to take the Ethics Commission a little more seriously," Treglia said.
The vote came just over a week after Bill Boyarsky, a former member of the Ethics Commission, wrote an op-ed piece for The Times saying that he left the five-member panel feeling frustrated by its inability to change the system.
Commission executive director LeeAnn Pelham said her agency has fined Cardenas $19,000 as a result of 40 violations of campaign finance and disclosure laws since 2002. The commission will propose a new fine at an upcoming meeting.
Cardenas, who represents part of the San Fernando Valley, said through a spokeswoman that he had successfully fought in the past to reduce the number fines sought by the commission.
"I hope the commission is not being retaliatory because its own past mistakes were brought to light," Cardenas said in a prepared statement.
david.zahniser@latimes.com
