Mayor Sam Exclusive: Contributions from Bet Tzedek Associates raises Ethical Questions for City Attorney Candidate Mike Feuer

** Mayor Sam Exclusive: Do Bet Tzedek officials contributions to the Mike Feuer for City Attorney Campaign, violate Ethics Commission standards?

Mayor Villar to Assemblyman Mike Feuer. "Are you wearing Jack Weiss'es dubious campaign money dirty laundry"?

Please pause with us as we share in a “political Déjà vu moment” regarding a current and past Mayor Antonio Villar endorsed candidate for City Attorney.

Some background. Mayor Sam has uncover documentation that show legally-questionable campaign contributions from top officials of  City Attorney Candidate Assemblyman Mike Feuer pre-political career employer Bet Tzedek (The House of Justice).

Bet Tzedek, which was founded to provide free legal services to low income residents, has in recent years, received various city contracts to provided services in its coverage area and recently moved its main office from its original Fairfax location , to a larger office on Wilshire and Western.

Current President and CEO Sandor Samuels (the former chief legal counsel for the defunct controversial Countrywide Mortgage Company), upon taking over the top position held in the past by Assemblyman Feuer, stated a desire to expand services for the aged. That goal recently bear fruit via this city services contract from the Department of Aging for $398,000, which was signed by Samuels on August 11, 2011. Since the initial contact was signed, it has been amended twice, increasing the funding to its current level of $865,290, that was signed off on by the CEO on June, 12, 2012.

For all, for profit and non-profit entities , the Ethics Commission recently amended guidelines that govern political contributions by those seeking city contracts, in spirit of preserving the integrity of the competitive bidding/ selection process, as excerpted below.

(12) (A) The following persons shall not make a campaign contribution to any elected City official, candidate for elected City office, or City committee controlled by an elected City official or candidate:(I) A person who bids on or submits a proposal or other response to a contract solicitation that has an anticipated value of at least $100,000 and requires approval by the City Council;(ii) Subcontractors that are expected to receive at least $100,000 as a result of performing a portion of the contract obligations of a person defined in sub paragraph (i); and(iii) Principals of persons defined in sub paragraphs (i) and (ii).(8) The following persons shall not make a campaign contribution to the Mayor, the City Attorney, the Controller, a City Council member, a candidate for any of those elected City offices, or a City committee controlled by a person who holds or seeks any of those elected City offices:(i) A person who bids on or submits a proposal or other response to a contract solicitation that has an anticipated value of at least $100,000 and requires approval by the elected City office that is held or sought by the person to whom the contribution would be given;(ii) Subcontractors that are expected to receive at least $100,000 as a result of performing a portion of the contract obligations of a person defined in sub paragraph (i); and(iii) Principals of persons defined in sub paragraphs (i) and (ii).

(E) The prohibitions in paragraphs (A) and (8) shall apply from the time the bid or proposal is submitted until the contract is signed, the bid or proposal is withdrawn by the bidder or proposer, or the City rejects all proposals for the contract, whichever is earlier. The prohibitions shall continue for 12 months after the contract is signed for the successful bidder or proposer, its principals, its subcontractors of at least $100,000, and the principals of those subcontractors.(F) For purposes of this subdivision, a principal of a person who is a bidder, proposer, or subcontractor means the person's board chair, president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, or the functional equivalent of those positions; any individual who holds an ownership interest in the person of 20 percent or more; and any individual authorized by the bid or proposal to represent the person before the City.

Simply, officials for Bet Tzedek, who’s organizational titles matched the positions outlined by the Ethics Commission, are prohibited from donating to candidates for the offices noted above, which would include City Attorney, during the time period outlined.

But as we disclose below CEO Samuels, along with Chairperson Gary Roberts, Chairperson Holly J. Fujie, Chair Emeritus Luis Lainer along with President’s Council Members Jay Wintrob, John Schulman and Jerome Coben, all have made donations to Assemblyman Mike Feuer’s City Attorney Campaign within the supposed donation blackout period. Thus, raising serious questions whether Ethics Commission protocols were usurp nefariously.

09/28/11	Sandor Samuels   (President, Bet Tzedek Legal Services) Encino, CA 91316	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$500.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
12/08/11	Sandor Samuels   (President, Bet Tzedek Legal Services) Encino, CA 91316	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$250.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

11/30/11	Gary D. Roberts   (Attorney, Fox Entertainment) Los Angeles, CA 90067	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$500.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
06/01/12	Gary D. Roberts   (Attorney, News America (Fox Group)) Los Angeles, CA 90067	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]	$800.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

10/05/11

Holly Fujie   (Attorney, Buchalter et al) Los Angeles, CA 90064

Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]

$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

10/11/11	Luis Lainer   (Real Estate Mgmt., Lainer Development Inc.) Los Angeles, CA 90077	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
04/10/12	Luis Lainer   (Real Estate Mgmt., Lainer Development Inc.) Los Angeles, CA 90077	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]	$300.00 [Election: 03/05/13

11/30/11

Jay S. Wintrob   (Financial Services, SunAmerican Financial Group) Santa Monica, CA 90402

Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013

A - Monetary Contribution Received  (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]

$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13

09/28/11	John A. Schulman   (Attorney, USC) Los Angeles, CA 90049	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
06/28/12	John A. Schulman   (Attorney, MSK) Los Angeles, CA 90049	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]	$300.00 [Election: 03/05/13

09/21/11	Jerome L. Coben   (Consultant, Zeughauser Group) Los Angeles, CA 90005	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/11 to 12/31/11]	$1,000.00 [Election: 03/05/13]
06/29/12	Jerome L. Coben   (Retired, N.A.) Los Angeles, CA 90005	Mike Feuer  City Attorney 1341335 - Mike Feuer For City Attorney 2013	A - Monetary Contribution Received (IND - Individual)  [Period: 01/01/12 to 06/30/12]	$300.00 [Election: 03/05/13]

In total, at least 19 Bet Tzedek associates, including those named above, have donated a collective sum of roughly $18,950 (estimate on the low end) to the campaign of Ben Tzedek’s former executive director (as noted on the pictured documents posted after the jump).. Add that total with the fact that the formerly exclusive provider of no cost legal advise to the disadvantage, has expanded their work with the help of city contracts, is sure to provide political fodder for intuitive political observers (** or maybe an Ethics Commission investigation?).

Mayor Villaraigosa noted in his last week‘s endorsement of  Bet Tzedek‘s former E.D. turned career political office seeker, that he would be the right man of integrity to run a city attorney office reduce by his imposed budget cuts. Yet, at this moment, Feuer is treading towards being the 2013 version of the Jack Weiss Campaign, that saw its donors become subjects of fines and Grand Jury indictments.

How is that for a political déjà vu moment?

Your thoughts …………..
Scott Johnson in CD 14

Highlighted names denote donors to Mike Feuer for City Attorney Campaign