Councilman’s political ambitions alive and well, despite probe into mishandling of party donation
(Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part series. The first article ran on Friday.)
By John Wood
Daily Press Staff Writer
City Councilman Mike Feinstein isn’t letting the investigation into his handling of $10,000 in Green Party funds dampen his political ambitions. Feinstein is expected to run next week for a four-year seat on a state smog-fighting agency.
If elected next Thursday, Feinstein would represent the 25 cities of western LA County on the governing board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a group formed to address the poor quality of air in Southern California.
The 12-member AQMD governing board controls a $100 million annual budget. Members, who often participate in two or three sub-committees, are paid $100 per meeting. Being investigated for wrongdoing doesn’t bar a member from serving on the AQMD, spokesman Sam Atwood said.
In order to win the AQMD seat, Feinstein must earn the votes of a majority of the representatives from the 25 cities in western LA. Those leaders must also represent a majority of the total population of all the cities combined.
Because it’s extremely difficult for candidates from the smaller cities to garner the majority of the population to win an AQMD seat, the western cities seat has traditionally been held by an LA City Council member. Most recently, it was vacated by former LA City Councilman Hal Bernson.
For Feinstein to serve the full four-year term on the governing board, he would need to retain his seat on the City Council through 2007. That’s the rub, because Feinstein is up for reelection next fall and could be vulnerable to eroding support from both the Green Party and Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, long City Hall’s ruling party, which has endorsed him in the past.
Feinstein is currently being investigated by the LA District Attorney’s Office for his handling of a $10,000 donation to the Green Party of LA County on Jan. 18, 2001 that he deposited into his personal bank account. Though the investigation focuses solely on the $10,000 check, Green Party officials say Feinstein has allegedly taken a total of $30,000 to run an unsanctioned office of the Green Party at 2809 Pico Blvd.
Glen Koontz, Feinstein’s Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, says Feinstein volunteered the records to police before they were seized. Nonetheless, Santa Monica police Lt. Mike Beautz asked Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins to approve a warrant for them.
“It’s skewed. It’s almost impossible for someone who’s not in LA to get (the seat).” — — PAM O’CONNOR Santa Monica City Councilwoman
An announcement on what will happen in the Feinstein case is expected at the end of the month, said Deputy DA Richard Ceballos.
Feinstein declined to comment. His lawyer insists he did nothing illegal and says it’s unlikely charges will be filed. Feinstein supporters said he spent the money on party business and didn’t use it personally.
Meanwhile, the AQMD election is set for Oct. 23 in Redondo Beach. Both Feinstein and LA City Councilwoman Jan Perry are expected to run for the seat.
Feinstein also ran against Perry for the AQMD seat on June 26, but neither won. Feinstein earned votes from nine of the 14 members present, but Perry’s five votes, one of which included LA, represented an overwhelming 82.5 percent of the population.
To address the perceived inequity to smaller cities on the board, City Councilwoman Pam O’Connor joined Feinstein in a recommendation that would improve Santa Monica’s representation on the AQMD governing board. The item was originally listed in the City Council agenda for Oct. 14, but was pulled by Feinstein at the last minute, according to city staff.
O’Connor said the recommendation isn’t an endorsement of Feinstein’s bid for the seat. Rather, she said the goal is for AQMD and other boards to have representatives from both smaller cities and LA.
“It’s skewed,” she said. “It’s almost impossible for someone who’s not in LA to get (the seat)... They’re the big 2,000-pound guerilla and they’re going to hold it. And, frankly, their issues are different than the smaller cities’. Their issues are big.”
But it’s not just locally that officials are pushing for change.
Dennis Washburn, a Calabasas City Councilman who serves on the LA County City Selection Committee, said a recommendation is currently before the local chapter of the League of California Cities, an organization made up city leaders, that would change the way officials are elected throughout LA County.
“Everyone is looking for equity and a fair deal,” Washburn said, adding that, if approved, the proposal would next go to legislators in Sacramento. “This hasn’t been addressed in 17 years.”
But for the time being, the AQMD is sticking with its format for electing representatives.
Representatives from other cities to the AQMD said they didn’t know Feinstein’s handling of Green Party funds is under investigation. El Segundo City Councilman Kelly McDowell, who voted against Feinstein in the earlier election, said he was surprised the matter hadn’t been discussed at any of the previous meetings. Manhattan Beach City Councilman Mitch Ward, who voted for Feinstein, said he needs to look into it further before he decides where his vote will go next week.
Dennis Washburn
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 18, 2003. Read the original PDF.