HOT Brief on the Questionable, Studio City Neighborhood Council Election Proceedings for Monday

In a reversal of a previous ruling, an Empower LA Neighborhood Council Elections Challenge Panel, reinstated Studio City NC Candidates Eric Preven and Patrice Berlin as the victorious candidates, unseating among others, the infamous "Dangerous Enemy of Freedom (and Fair Elections, allegedly)" Lisa Sarkin.

 "The Dangerous Enemy of Freedom (and Pro-Development Shill)" is "unwanted (officially)" on the Studio City NC by Stakeholders.

Justice prevails (after a second reconsideration) for anti-Development Activists Eric Preven and Patrice Berlin. 

Let Freedom reign once again in Studio City ..........., and may a "Dangerous Enemy of Freedom" forever be tainted for besmirching the character of TRUE neighborhood advocates.

This blog has previously noted the dubious exploits of now FORMER Studio Council Neighborhood Council Member Lisa Sarkin, who has earned the wrath of neighborhood advocates, city-wide, for her role in past acts of retribution, against the likes of former fellow SCNC Board Member Michael McCue and others who stood up against her constant Pro-Development shillings.

In recent times, efforts to remove her, either during the normal NC Election Cycle, or via an attempted Recall process, have narrowly failed to unseat the "Rubber Stamp" for controversial Development Projects such as the Sportsmen's Landing .........., but her Developers (and CD 2 City Councilman Paul Krekorian)-sanctioned antics, finally reached the tipping point during the just-completed April SCNC Elections.

Challengers Patrice Berlin and Eric Preven (also a former CD 2 Candidate), were the top two vote recipients, beating out Sarkin for the available two seats in the "Employee/Independent Contractor Catagory" ........., but the "Powers to Be (aka Friends of Sarkin)", concocted a scheme to usurp the will of the Stakeholders.

According to the LA Times, associates of Sarkin, filed multiple Election Challenges, that made allegations against Berlin and Preven, that the duo were involved in illegal Electioneering within the Polling Location. Further, officials with Empower LA, impaneled a RARE Grievance Committee, made up of the trio of Boyle Heights NC President Vera del Pozo, Historic Highland Park NC President Monica Alcarez and Eagle Rock NC President David Greene (all noted City Council PLUM Committee Chairperson Jose Huizar supporters), who ruled against the recommendation of Empower LA staff, and disqualified Berlin and Prevan, in a dubious (and questionably legal process) that made Kangaroo Courts look dignified.

But in documentation submitted by the duo of Berlin and Preven, to the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Attorney Mike Feuer which raised serious questions about the objectivity (and the veracity of the allegations) regarding the actions taken against the duo  Its obvious that Empower LA was placing itself in legal trouble, especially when an alleged statement, submitted as part of the testimony collaborating the charges of Electioneering, are refuted by its supposed LAPD Officer witness, as noted below.

On Apr 19, 2016, at 10:25 PM, MICHAEL LEWIS <31575 lapd.lacity.org=""> wrote:“Patrice,All I know is that I saw you in the hallway of Walter Reed Middle school during the night of the election and we said hello to each other. We probably talked for less than a minute. It is then I heard somebody (I don’t know who it was) say that it was against the rules for you to still be there because you were a candidate in the election. You then quickly said goodbye and left.If this is what they are referring to as inappropriate electioneering, I need to talk to somebody because that is ridiculous. This is the only time I saw you all evening and I did not witness any inappropriate electioneering. I don’t know what the rules of inappropriate electioneering is but its the only time I saw you.I am off tomorrow but I’m back on Thursday. I will also call Stu Miller. I’m reluctant to get involved in theses type of situations but I also don’t appreciate somebody speaking on my behalf, especially when it’s untrue.Who can you suggest I contact or call in an attempt to remedy this or at least give my side of the story? Or who told you last night that you can’t remedy this situation, call witnesses or remedy the situation?Mike

Thus,  contradictions in the evidence against Berlin and Preven, as exampled above (and legal pressure), may be why Empower LA took the drastic step to reconvene the Election Challenge Panel on May 9, 2016 .........., and the results were to rescind the Disqualification of Berlin and Preven (who was stilled found to have engaged in Electioneering, but given only a Written Reprimand).

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