Weeks after his exchange with Pla, Aguallo sent an e-mail to a high-level aide asking if Cardinal Americas' request for a six-month extension could bypass the agency's investment committee, where financial proposals receive more exhaustive review. The pension aide said no.
In May, LACERS' acting general manager warned pension board chairman Holoman that Aguallo's work on behalf of Cardinal Americas might constitute a conflict of interest. Within weeks, investigators from the city's Ethics Commission began interviewing LACERS employees about Aguallo.
Although the party planner sent out many of the invitations, Aguallo personally asked some business leaders to contribute. "If you can please confirm whether the Attucks [Asset Management] team will be attending and helping the Toigo Foundation through a potential scholarship," Aguallo wrote one company, which was seeking a contract renewal from his agency.
Aguallo solicited $5,000 from LM Capital, an investment management firm whose contract was renewed by LACERS three months before the party. Five other $5,000 donors had business pending before the agency within six months of the party.
A sixth company, Thompson, Horstmann and Bryant, had business before LACERS' investment committee two days before the party. The company gave $10,000.
After the party, Aguallo received accolades from a handful of investment professionals.
Chau Nguyen, whose firm, Progress Investment Management, does business with LACERS and sponsored a $5,000 table, praised the party and then invited Aguallo to a birthday celebration in West Hollywood for Smith, the LACERS board member.
"It is time," Nguyen wrote, "for another party."
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david.zahniser@latimes.com
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On latimes.com
Party planning
To read some of the e-mails about the lavish party, go to latimes.com/california.
