Entertainment Industry Development Corporation

The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved a move to consolidate county and city film permit operations into a new organization that officials hope will streamline procedures and help keep the lucrative film business in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles' film permit coordinator is getting a Hollywood-style makeover. Seeking to jazz up its image to filmmakers, the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. is scheduled to announce today that it is shedding its lengthy bureaucratic name for the punchier Film L.A. Inc. "Now, you actually know what they do," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Cody Cluff, one of the founders and the only president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., resigned Monday with a $287,000 severance package and an uncertain future as he confronts allegations of misappropriation and perjury.

In a rare moment of unity, five rival film permit companies have joined together to accuse the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. of trying to drive them out of business. In a lawsuit filed late last week, the companies allege that the corporation, which is under contract to the city to coordinate permitting in Los Angeles, has treated them "in a discriminatory and unfair manner."

The president of the embattled Entertainment Industry Development Corp. was placed on paid leave Friday by the film permitting agency's executive committee, but he told his staff hours later he will defy the vote and refuse to step down. Lawyers for the agency said that Cody Cluff, who is under investigation by county prosecutors for alleged misuse of funds, was acting on their advice.

Lawyers for the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. will continue negotiations on Monday to try to end a dispute between the organization's embattled president, Cody Cluff, and its executive committee. The committee decided to put Cluff on a paid leave Friday, pending the outcome of a criminal probe by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Cluff is being investigated for alleged misuse of public funds.

San Fernando Valley mayoral candidate Keith Richman on Thursday said a Valley city should take over film permitting in its area from the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., which is under criminal investigation for alleged misuse of funds. "There are too many questions concerning the EIDC," said Richman, one of 10 Valley mayoral candidates in the Nov. 5 secession election. "I will [make] sure that all permit fees stay in the new Valley city."

Los Angeles County officials Friday urged the quasi-public agency that provides local film permits to convene an emergency meeting of its executive board in light of a district attorney's investigation of its possible misuse of public funds. The report by County Counsel Lloyd W. Pellman and Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen recommends that the Entertainment Industry Development Corp.'s executive committee review the agency's spending practices.

To ease tensions over location filming, the City Council has amended its contract with the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. to give the nonprofit group responsibility for notifying residents of filming in their neighborhoods. Under the old system, those holding filming permits had to notify neighbors, an arrangement many residents complained about.

The board of directors of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. appointed a new president Monday -- eight months after the former president was indicted on embezzlement charges. Steve MacDonald, who currently serves as a deputy to Mayor James K. Hahn in the San Fernando Valley, will start his new post April 19.

To ease tensions over location filming, the City Council has amended its contract with the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. to give the nonprofit group responsibility for notifying residents of filming in their neighborhoods. Under the old system, those holding filming permits had to notify neighbors, an arrangement many residents complained about.

Cody Cluff was sentenced Monday to three years' probation on charges of embezzling public funds as head of the agency that promotes film production in Los Angeles. Cluff, accused of spending public money on excursions to strip clubs and a baseball camp, served three months behind bars while he was evaluated by state prison officials. He also repaid $80,000 to the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

The former general manager of the agency that promotes film production in the city pleaded no contest to misdemeanor forgery . Darryl Seif was accused of forging a letter from the mayor's office and using a counterfeit city seal. A Superior Court judge sentenced him to three years' probation and a $1,000 fine. Cody Cluff, former head of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., pleaded no contest last month to charges of embezzling public funds and could face up to two years in prison.

Cody Cluff, the former head of the agency that promotes film production in Los Angeles, pleaded no contest Monday to embezzling public funds that he used to pay for excursions to strip clubs and a fantasy baseball camp, and for donations to his children's high school. Cluff agreed to repay $80,000 to the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., which he headed for years.

The board of directors of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. appointed a new president Monday -- eight months after the former president was indicted on embezzlement charges. Steve MacDonald, who currently serves as a deputy to Mayor James K. Hahn in the San Fernando Valley, will start his new post April 19.

A judge dismissed seven of 11 criminal counts Thursday against Cody Cluff, accused of misusing and embezzling public funds as former head of the agency that promotes film production in Los Angeles County. Defense attorney Mark Werksman said the judge "took a meat ax" to the case by dismissing the counts alleging that Cluff spent embezzled Entertainment Industry Development Corp. money on strip joints, club memberships and a Dominican Republic baseball trip.

Negotiations continued Monday on the employment status of Cody Cluff, president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. Cluff, under criminal investigation by county prosecutors, was ordered Friday by the EIDC's executive board to take a paid leave of absence, but he said he would defy the request. Cluff did not show up for work Monday. But George Newhouse, an EIDC lawyer, called the day a vacation.

Despite a strong surge in TV work, shooting on Los Angeles streets fell 21% in September as movie and commercial work dropped sharply. Figures from the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. show the number of shooting days fell to 2,238 from 2,826 from September 2002. A shooting day is one day of shooting on a film, commercial, TV show or music video. The figures include shooting in public places where permits are required, but not on studio lots.

Los Angeles elected officials who sit on the board of the county's film permitting office voted themselves out of jobs Monday as part of a package of reforms designed to clean up the troubled agency. In their place, the 21 elected officials and 28 others on the board of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp.

Los Angeles County's film permitting office took steps Friday to remove all 21 elected officials from its board of directors and prohibit the agency from making political contributions. The actions by the executive committee of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. came in the wake of revelations that the agency gave $145,900 in political contributions to board members and others.