John Stodder

A former Fleishman-Hillard vice president testified Tuesday that she padded the public relations firm's bills to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power by as much as $50,000 a month. Monique Moret, who is testifying under a promise of immunity from prosecution, told jurors that she acted at the direction of her boss, John Stodder, who told her that the orders came from Douglas Dowie, the Los Angeles office's general manager. Why? Assistant U.S. Atty. Adam Kamenstein asked Moret.

Former public relations and newspaper executive Douglas R. Dowie has lost the appeal of his conviction for defrauding taxpayers and must begin serving his 3 1/2-year prison sentence next month, his attorney said Friday. Dowie's padding of charges to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 2000 to 2003 bilked the city of hundreds of thousands of dollars and rocked the municipal hierarchy under former Mayor James K. Hahn with an ethics scandal. Dowie, 61, was a confidant of the former mayor when, as head of the Los Angeles office of the PR firm Fleishman-Hillard, he ordered subordinates to overcharge the DWP for services to the tune of $50,000 a month, witnesses at his 2006 trial testified.

Former public relations and newspaper executive Douglas R. Dowie has lost the appeal of his conviction for defrauding taxpayers and must begin serving his 3 1/2-year prison sentence next month, his attorney said Friday. Dowie's padding of charges to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 2000 to 2003 bilked the city of hundreds of thousands of dollars and rocked the municipal hierarchy under former Mayor James K. Hahn with an ethics scandal. Dowie, 61, was a confidant of the former mayor when, as head of the Los Angeles office of the PR firm Fleishman-Hillard, he ordered subordinates to overcharge the DWP for services to the tune of $50,000 a month, witnesses at his 2006 trial testified.

A public relations executive convicted of fraud for overbilling the city of Los Angeles is seeking a retrial, citing newly discovered evidence that he says shows the star witness against him had an undisclosed motive to lie. The executive, John Stodder, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2006 for overcharging the city's Department of Water and Power for work done by his firm, Fleishman-Hillard. He was convicted of conspiring with his boss, Douglas Dowie. Both men are free on appeal.

The first criminal trial arising from the ongoing "pay-to-play" investigation into Los Angeles city contracting opened Tuesday with dozens of prospective jurors completing questionnaires. Twelve of those panelists will eventually decide the fate of two former public relations executives accused of conspiring to overbill the city a total of about $325,000 in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Douglas R. Dowie, once a political fundraiser and confidant of former Mayor James K.

A former Fleishman-Hillard employee who testified she padded bills to the city on orders from her former bosses admitted Wednesday to making misstatements to investigators, but held firm to her basic story of fraud by the international public relations firm. Monique Moret, testifying under a grant of immunity, was pummeled over five hours of cross-examination by a lawyer for John Stodder, on trial in the overbilling scheme that cost taxpayers almost $6 million.

A federal judge declared a former city official hostile to prosecutors Tuesday, an unusual move that gives them more freedom to question him about overbilling by one of the nation's largest public relations firms. The testimony of Eric Moses, a top aide to former Mayor Richard Riordan and once a writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess, who is presiding over the trial.

Two former public relations executives "lied and stole" from clients, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, padding their bills with thousands of hours never worked, a federal prosecutor alleged Thursday. "It is not a complicated case," Assistant U.S. Atty. Cheryl Murphy told jurors in her opening statement. "It's third-grade math and first-grade morals." Douglas R. Dowie, once a political fundraiser and confidant of former Mayor James K.

A second worker has identified Fleishman-Hillard Inc. executive John Stodder as the man who issued instructions to falsify public relations billings to the city, a federal jury was told Friday. Candice Campbell, who worked in the international public relations firm's Los Angeles office for 10 years, testified Friday against Stodder and his former boss, Douglas Dowie, who are on trial for conspiracy and fraud.

A public relations executive convicted of fraud for overbilling the city of Los Angeles is seeking a retrial, citing newly discovered evidence that he says shows the star witness against him had an undisclosed motive to lie. The executive, John Stodder, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2006 for overcharging the city's Department of Water and Power for work done by his firm, Fleishman-Hillard. He was convicted of conspiring with his boss, Douglas Dowie. Both men are free on appeal.

A federal judge declared a former city official hostile to prosecutors Tuesday, an unusual move that gives them more freedom to question him about overbilling by one of the nation's largest public relations firms. The testimony of Eric Moses, a top aide to former Mayor Richard Riordan and once a writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess, who is presiding over the trial.

A second worker has identified Fleishman-Hillard Inc. executive John Stodder as the man who issued instructions to falsify public relations billings to the city, a federal jury was told Friday. Candice Campbell, who worked in the international public relations firm's Los Angeles office for 10 years, testified Friday against Stodder and his former boss, Douglas Dowie, who are on trial for conspiracy and fraud.

A former Fleishman-Hillard employee who testified she padded bills to the city on orders from her former bosses admitted Wednesday to making misstatements to investigators, but held firm to her basic story of fraud by the international public relations firm. Monique Moret, testifying under a grant of immunity, was pummeled over five hours of cross-examination by a lawyer for John Stodder, on trial in the overbilling scheme that cost taxpayers almost $6 million.

A former Fleishman-Hillard vice president testified Tuesday that she padded the public relations firm's bills to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power by as much as $50,000 a month. Monique Moret, who is testifying under a promise of immunity from prosecution, told jurors that she acted at the direction of her boss, John Stodder, who told her that the orders came from Douglas Dowie, the Los Angeles office's general manager. Why? Assistant U.S. Atty. Adam Kamenstein asked Moret.

Two former public relations executives "lied and stole" from clients, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, padding their bills with thousands of hours never worked, a federal prosecutor alleged Thursday. "It is not a complicated case," Assistant U.S. Atty. Cheryl Murphy told jurors in her opening statement. "It's third-grade math and first-grade morals." Douglas R. Dowie, once a political fundraiser and confidant of former Mayor James K.

The first criminal trial arising from the ongoing "pay-to-play" investigation into Los Angeles city contracting opened Tuesday with dozens of prospective jurors completing questionnaires. Twelve of those panelists will eventually decide the fate of two former public relations executives accused of conspiring to overbill the city a total of about $325,000 in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Douglas R. Dowie, once a political fundraiser and confidant of former Mayor James K.

Los Angeles-based real estate management firm DivcoWest Group has promoted John Gleason to regional vice president of asset management. He will be in charge of the firm's Southern California office building portfolio. * Clarence "C.B." Brown has been promoted to director of corporate communications for Southern California Edison, the Rosemead-based electric utility operated by Edison International. * Pink Dot Inc.

* Bankers Trust Private Banking has named Aaron Sokol private banking relationship manager and vice president of the Los Angeles-based unit of Deutsche Bank. Sokol will be responsible for new business development for the high-net-worth private banking markets. He previously served as a portfolio manager at Los Angeles-based Scudder Kemper Investments Inc. * Edelman Public Relations Worldwide has appointed Gail Becker general manager and executive vice president of its Los Angeles office.