City Attorney Candidate Greg Smith calls out Mike Feuer's "$30,000 in Questionable Contributions" from Bet Tzedek Associates
City Attorney Candidate Greg Smith calls out Assemblyman Mike Feuer's "$30,000 in donations" from associates of Bet Tzedek, as Feuer dodges media inquires.
Deputy City Attorney Greg Smith (right) accepts LAPPL's Line of Duty Award.
Don't count on "Bet Tzedekgate" going away anytime soon.
As Assemblyman Mike Feuer Campaign dodges media inquires regarding our Mayor Sam Exclusive, fellow City Attorney Candidate Greg Smith has apparently "up the tote of contributions" from Bet Tzedek associate, to the City Attorney Campaign of its former Executive Director.
During last night's Temple Israel City Attorney Debate moderated by LA Times Columnist/ Roving Editor Jim Newton, Smith stated to the assembled audience that Feuer had received $30,000, not our low end amount of $18,950. ** We can on further review, add another $12,086 in Bet Tzedek associates donations to give us a new total of $31,036 dollars in legally questionable donations.
We have no reason to dispute the obviously-researched higher total cited by the Smith Campaign. As we noted in our initial report, we surmised that our total was on the low end. Thus, the findings of the Smith Campaign only cast a larger spotlight on a growing fundraising scandal.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan New-Enterprise has sought comment from the Feuer Campaign, regarding our exclusive, to no avail, as noted in this excerpt.
A contributor to a popular Los Angeles political blog has accused executives of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, one of whom is now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, of making illegal donations to the campaign of Los Angeles city attorney candidate Michael Feuer.Scott Johnson, posting Saturday on “Mayor Sam’s Sister City,” alleged that a $1,000 donation by Holly Fujie in October 2011—two months prior to her appointment to the bench—and other donations made between October 2010 and June of last year violated rules prohibiting city contractors, bidders for contracts, and officers of organizations that are contractors or are bidding for contracts from donating to city candidates if the amount of the contract or proposed contract exceeds $100,000.The Feuer campaign did not respond to a MetNews request for comment..
Back at the debate, an eyewitness provided more background on Smith's comments.
Greg smith has definitely followed up on your story. he did some digging and raised the ante: smith told the audience at the temple israel of hollywood debate that feuer raised $30,000 from bet tzedek board members and executives. feuer did not respond. smith made the remark in the context of pointing out that he (smith) had to self-fund his campaign because he was an outsider candidate who didn't have access to big-time city hall contributors - like bet tzedek. later, during the reception after the main event, smith said he was expecting someone to file an ethics complaint about this matter which, he believes, will dog feuer throughout the campaign. smith also said, again after the debate, that if he had had a chance to ask feuer a direct question (each candidate got to ask one question of a rival - but who you posed the question to was decided by lottery), he would have asked feuer if he personally solicited the contributions from bet tzedek
We should note that Smith's temerity in seeking Feuer's comments may have resulted in some alteration/deletion of his comments from the live streaming video of last nights proceedings. At the 42:15 mark in the debate, Smith makes his $30,000 comment, but for whatever reason, the comment is deleted.
This fact should be reason enough for Debate Moderator Jim Newton's "supposed fishwrap of record", to invest story budget on this growing fundraising scandal.
Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14
Labels: 2013 city attorney race, Assemblyman Mike Feuer, Bet Tzedek, Greg Smith for City Attorney, Metropolitan News Enterprise
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 1/15/2013 02:40:00 PM
10 Comments:
Scott -
Check the LA TIMES link to the video
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-los-angeles-election-city-attorney-debate-20130115,0,7887793.story
It's right there at about the 58 minute mark. Pretty shocking. Feuer should drop out of the race
becuase this is blatant law breaking and unethical conduct.
He's not fit to be City Attorney.
You should have seen the look Nuch gave his campaign people (John Schwada) at the debate when Smith blasted Feuer over the Bet Tzedek contributions - it was like WTF! Why am I paying you all this money and you don't discover this stuff? Nuch should have been the one to out the whole Bet Tzedekgate scandal, it would have given his campaign a real boost, but he looked like he was hearing about it for the first time. I guess he doesn't read Mayor Sam. Thanks Scott, for getting this story out there, and thanks too to Greg Smith for getting the whole story. Game over for Feuer once the LA Times does their report.
Charter Section 470(c)(12) applies to contract solicitations issued or released on or after May 8, 2011. If you check on the city website, the contract solicitation for Bet Tzedek's contract was issued prior to that date.
Charter Section 470(c)(12) applies to amendments when contract discussions with the awarding authority began on or after the effective date of this ordinance. (1/28/12). Accordingly, any donations made before that date are legal.
The donations that occurred after that date were not made by principals (i.e. the individuals listed were not board chair, president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, or the functional equivalent of those positions).
Even Nuch knows better than to make a false attack at a Temple on one of the most important Jewish public service organizations in the City. Bet Tzedek is a beloved organization in the community and to go after it in this deceitful way will only trigger a major backlash. Volunteer/honorary board members are not subject to this provision and to suggest otherwise is offensive and wrong -- notice MS fails to mention another critical fact in an attempt to smear.
This is absurd. Bet Tzedek for those not familiar with it is a foundation that provides free legal services for poor people who can't afford a lawyer. They have occasionally received grants from the City of Los Angeles for working in cooperation with the City on one project or another. They are a non-profit. Smith is trying to argue that the members of the board who are unpaid volunteers shouldn't be able to help Mike Feuer who used to work at the non-profit because of this. That is like saying that volunteers for the Red Cross shouldn't be able to help a candidate because the city also gives them money. Just silly and Smith should be ashamed for stooping so low in an attempt at an attack.
From today's Metropolitan News Enterprise.
By KENNETH OFGANG, Staff Writer
The campaign of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Michael Feuer yesterday disputed claims by an opponent and a political blogger that several of its donors made financial contributions that violate local law.
Scott Johnson, posting Saturday on “Mayor Sam’s Sister City,” alleged that several Feuer donors, violated Measure H—the initiative restricting who can donate to city campaigns and how much—and its implementing regulations.
The donors, including current Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly Fujie, were allegedly barred from contributing because they were executives of Bet Tzedek Legal Services when it was bidding for, or within a year of its receiving, a city contract.
City attorney candidate Greg Smith repeated the allegation Monday at a candidate’s debate in Hollywood, according to accounts on both the Mayor Sam and Los Angeles Dragnet blogs. Feuer did not respond at that time, the blogs said, but his campaign provided the following statement:
“The donations identified in the blog are lawful. Although not addressed in the blog, one contribution was made in error and returned. Anyone who tries to score cheap political points at the expense of the poor, the elderly, Holocaust survivors and disabled people who are Bet Tzedek’s clients should be ashamed.”
A campaign spokesperson declined to answer MetNews questions about the donations.
The city prohibits contractors, bidders for contracts, and officers of organizations that are contractors or are bidding for contracts from donating to city candidates if the amount of the contract or proposed contract exceeds $100,000.
The law applies to the “chair, president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, or the functional equivalent of those positions” of a bidder or contractor.
Johnson said in his original post that Bet Tzedek officials gave at least $18,000 to the campaign at a time that the nonprofit legal services provider—of which Feuer is himself a former chief executive—was bidding for a contract to provide services to the city Department of Aging, or within one year of the signing of the contract on Aug. 11, 2011, the blackout period provided by city law.
Smith said Monday that the amount exceeded $30,000, and Johnson yesterday said he had identified additional donors whom he said were covered by the law, backing up Smith’s accusation.
Smith and Feuer are among three candidates challenging incumbent Carmen Trutanich. The other is attorney Noel Weiss.
So sad that someone would use the Holocaust to cover up for a "supposed campaign mistake".
So now you have defamed volunteer board members of a pro bono legal services organization in an effort to score cheap political points. Well done, Scott Johnson. It's one thing to smear candidates, but to go after volunteers like the BT board members (including a judge) is just shameful and pathetic.
MANY JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS FRONT FOR JEWISH CANDIDATES NOTHING NEW THEIR. FORGET BALANCED SUPORT FROM THEM THEY MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ALWAYS HOLD THE CARDS AGAINST ANYONE WHO GOES AGAINST THEIR CLEARLY BIAS VIEWPOINT. THEY ULTIMATELY WILL STAB THEMSELVES IN THE BACK AS MORE PEOPLE SEE THEIR DECEPTION AND TURN ON THEM. IN AMERICA IT SHOULD BE ABOUT IDEALS NOT WHO YOU FEEL IS ON YOUR TEAM. IT'S THIS ON GOING BELIEVE OF THEIRS THAT DOOMS THEM.
Nuch knows better than to make a false attack? HA HA HA HA HA! The idiot was PISSED he didn't get on this before Smith did. Idiot.
No wonder I couldnt get help for my elderly mom.they gave there money to the politicians.
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