Lobbyist Steve Sugerman to Host Fundraiser for Jack Weiss tonight

With the fate of the Southwest Museum and Griffith Park Open Space in limbo, Autry National Center Lobbyist and former Fleschman Hillard employee Steve Sugerman will host a fundraiser for City Councilman Jack Weiss in Santa Monica.

This evening's event was brought to the attention of the political bloggersphere by both Ron Kaye,

And the man who would be the people's lawyer, lackluster Councilman Jack Weiss, has taken a noblesse oblige attitude about consorting with felons as long as he can raise a lot of money for his campaign for City Attorney next year.

Weiss shows no shame about well-connected public relations operative Steve Sugerman holding a $500 a person fundraising event June 10 in Santa Monica even though Sugerman admitted to felony misconduct in the DWP/Fleishman-Hillard billing case. Of course, Weiss isn't alone in seeing nothing wrong with the involvement of Sugerman who operates freely in City Hall despite having confessed to bilking the city.

and the "WWG",

Steve Sugerman, who pleaded guilty in the Fleishman-Hillard scandal a few years back, is co-hosting a $500 per person fundraiser for Weiss on June 10 in Santa Monica.

Below are the payments from the Autry National Center to Steve Sugerman for espousing the "Autry's Lies" regarding the proposed move of the Southwest artifacts to a expanded Museum in Griffith Park.

Q2 2007 Sugerman Communications Group Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027 Autry National Center Improvement Project $10,000.00

Q3 2007 Sugerman Communications Group Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027 Autry National Center Improvement Project $18,061.80

Q4 2007 Sugerman Communications Group Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027 Autry National Center Improvement Project $18,000.00

Q1 2008 Sugerman Communications Group Autry National Center Los Angeles, CA 90027 Autry National Center Improvement Project $25,531.82

Total Payments Received from Clients : $71,593.62

For groups like the Friends of the Southwest Museum, Sierra Club, Col. Griffith family members and the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council, the irony is not lost how in 2005 Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, stake his campaign for Mayor on cleaning up the corruption of Fleschman Hillard.

But now in 2008, the likes of Jackie Autry, Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Jose Huizar and Councilman Tom LaBonge, are collaborating with Latham and Watkins and the same F.H. Steve Sugerman to pull off the heist of the Southwest Museum collection to Griffith Park.

Just wondering if any of the Southwest Society will be in attendance this evening.

Autry/Sugerman, thoughts that make you go hmmmm.

This was posted in the recent past.

City Hall Lobbyist...

Sugerman Communications Group

This public relations firm is headed by Steve Sugerman, a former communications aide to Mayor Richard Riordan. Mr. Sugarman therefore once worked with Robin Kramer, Riordan’s former Chief of Staff. Ms. Kramer is now the Chief Staff to Mayor Villaraigosa.

Public information suggests Mr. Sugerman was put on the Autry payroll as a consultant in early 2005. Sugerman’s most notorious claim to fame was he pled guilty to three counts of federal wire fraud as part of the Fleishman-Hillard overbilling scandal at the Water and Power Department. By pleading guilty to these felonies, Sugerman avoided jail after testifying against his supervisors who were sentenced to jail upon their conviction. Sugerman confessed to knowingly submitting falsified invoices to DWP. His employer later repaid $ 6 million to the City of Los Angeles, a portion of which Sugerman was responsible for. For his cooperation, Sugerman was sentenced last year to three years probation.

So, a confessed liar and convicted felon was hired by Autry as its public relations and City hall lobbyist. CEO John Gray likely asked Mr. Sugerman to use his contacts at City Hall, the Los Angeles Times and Daily News, and his “talents” to spin the deferred maintenance problems of the Southwest Museum as making the building unusable.

More lies and tales of deceit in the weeks to come..........

****This on file with the Ethics Commission****

Autry paid $18,000 to the Sugerman Group in the fourth quarter of 2007.