members saw fit, presumably to recruit new Greens and pay office expenses, Pietz said.
“I’m completely out of it now,” said Pietz, who quit the party primarily because of the money flap. “In my mind, Mike ought to give the Los Angeles Green Party the funds he misappropriated.”
Feinstein disregarded a request last summer from the state Green Party that he bow out of Green Party business and failed to respond last fall when the LA Green Party asked for its money back. Feinstein did not return calls seeking comment for this story.
Green Party officials said they were left with little choice but to sue.
“He may have spent the money, but he hasn’t accounted for how he spent the money,” said Dave Tait, a County Councilman of the L.A. Green Party. “And if he would do that, we would probably resolve the issue pretty quickly.”
Nancy Pearlman and Joe Crompton, co-coordinators of the LA County Greens, agree.
“Since a large donation to the LA County Green Party was received by Mike Feinstein over three years ago, the County Council has attempted to put the funds into an appropriate account,” Pearlman said. “The case in small claims court... has occurred because other avenues have been pursued in the past, but did not result in a satisfactory outcome... It has been frustrating that the situation has gone on for so long and we are hoping that it can come to a conclusion.”
While the $10,000 dispute plays itself out in a new arena, fellow Green Party member and City Councilman Kevin McKeown said he’s disappointed with the entire ordeal.
“I’m surprised this is back in the papers,” he said. “The Green Party County Council agreed not to publicize it. The small claims court is not a venue for accusation, but for resolution. We don’t want to try this in the press.
“We don’t want Mike’s reputation. We don’t want Mike’s money. We just want our money.”
“We don’t want Mike’s reputation. We don’t want Mike’s money. We just want our money.” — — KEVIN MCKEOWN Santa Monica City Councilman
It’s apparently a less expensive dispute now. The limit for a small claims court award is $5,000.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 16, 2004. Read the original PDF.