Political Lobbyists

Obama Coming To L.A., Still Wants Our Money Despite Election Win

Did President Obama not get the memo? The election is over. You don't need to tap L.A.'s rich people for campaign money anymore. You won. Wait, what? Ah: There are midterm congressional elections on the horizon. Democrats want to crack the alleged gridlock imposed by Republican filibusters. Friggin ... More >>

Garcetti and Greuel's Worst Days in Power

Setting aside promises, how have they behaved?

Wendy Greuel's Private Sector Job Involved Lobbying At L.A. City Hall

As she campaigns for mayor, Wendy Greuel has repeatedly stressed one thing that distinguishes her from her top two rivals: She has private-sector experience.Indeed, Greuel's resume includes a four-year stint at DreamWorks -- something that neither Jan Perry nor Eric Garcetti can claim -- which says ... More >>

Chief Deputy Assessor Failed To Report Loan From Lobbyist Harvey Englander

The former chief deputy of the L.A. County assessor's office failed to disclose a $255,000 loan from lobbyist Harvey Englander, the L.A. Weekly has learned.Gary Townsend, a veteran political operative who worked in the assessor's office for 22 years, received the loan in 2010 to aid in his purchase ... More >>

Marijuana Laws Would Ban Employers From Firing Medical Users, Loosen Penalties For Growing: Sacramento Lobbyists Block 'Em

You know what Sacramento's about.​You, the people, are in favor of laws that make it easier for medical pot users to keep their jobs and that make growing weed a possible misdemeanor. But the reality of politics in Sacramento often has little to do with your will. Business lobbyists and polic ... More >>

Watchdog Group Sues DOJ for Refusing to Release Congressman Jerry Lewis Investigation Records

Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis​Six months ago, the U.S. Department of Justice wrapped up an investigation into Congressman Jerry Lewis, a 17-term Republican from Redlands, for improperly handling earmarks and government contracts. The DOJ decided not to prosecute and everyone involved moved ... More >>

Worst Legislator in California, Part II

Charles Calderon lets special interest groups ghostwrite his laws

Charles Calderon, California State Assemblyman and Worst Legislator: 96 Percent of His Cash Gushes in From Outside His District

By David Futch Charles Calderon: Counting his money, or slapping his name on a law he never wrote?​Emboldened by bulging campaign coffers, brothers Charles and Ron Calderon don't merely introduce laws designed to reap profits for huge special-interest groups. Many of the laws that bear their ... More >>

Janice Hahn Takes Oil Money, Then Attacks Debra Bowen For Taking Oil Money

Debra Bowen, as depicted in a Janice Hahn mailer​In the closing days of the hot Dem-on-Dem Congressional primary, Councilwoman Janice Hahn has gone on the attack against Secretary of State Debra Bowen for taking oil money.Voters head to the polls tomorrow to choose a replacement for retired Congre ... More >>

Who Replaces Jane Harman?

Hahn, Bowen and a cast of SoCal characters slug it out for Congress

Lobbyist John Ek

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Soliciting Donations to Pay For Ethics Violations Fines Related to Ticketgate

Villaraigosa and his children at the Oscars.​We likened the $42,000 in fines Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will have to pay for accepting valuable sports and entertainment tickets from folks who do business with City Hall to a light slap on the wrist. Well, it looks like the mayor will don kid g ... More >>

How Lobbyist John Ek Gets His Way at City Hall

The 42 Most Powerful People in Los Angeles*, According to the Downtown News

AEG CEO Tim Leiweke: He's got downtown Los Angeles in his hands​*Well, technically just in downtown Los Angeles, but that's where all the big players make all their big decisions anyway, right? Just ask a pissed-off Daily News outsider in the Valley. Jon Regardie at the LA Downtown News knows ... More >>

Here Are Some Jokes About Dennis Zine Having Sex With Lobbyists

Dennis Zine was the honoree at Thursday's L.A. Political Roast​In its 14th year, the L.A. Political Roast went meta. Each year, City Hall lobbyists and politicians consort over dinner and drinks while a political figure is ritually humiliated.Last night, the victim was Councilman Dennis Zine, and ... More >>

Coliseum Manager Todd DeStefano Hired Lobbyist to Represent Pro-Rave Argument in City Hall

Caesar SebastianA dancer at Electric Daisy Carnival.​The L.A. Coliseum manager who was doing double duty working for the embattled promoter of controversial raves there had also hired a lobbying firm to fight for organizer's right to throw these parties. L.A. City Ethics Commission website sh ... More >>

Jane Harman Plans To Resign On Tuesday, Won't Endorse A Successor

Jane Harman​Rep. Jane Harman will not endorse a successor, saying today that her new role as head of a foreign policy think tank compels her to be non-partisan.At her first press conference since announcing her retirement, the South Bay congresswoman said she intends to make her resignation offici ... More >>

Journos Dan Walters, Dan Morain Have Dueling Takes On 'LA Weekly's' Story About Felipe Fuentes -- 'Worst Legislator In California'

Felipe Fuentes: The worst or just the norm?​There's a small debate brewing in media circles about whether LA Weekly's story this week on "The Worst Legislator in California" -- San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes -- constitutes true news. The story is based on a San Jose Mercury Ne ... More >>

Santa Monica Based Glenn Beck Advertiser Goldline, Under Investigation, Fights Back

Nuggets​Santa-Monica-based Goldline International is already under investigation by the L.A. County District Attorney and the Santa Monica City Attorney for allegedly not delivering what it promises to customers, while also pushing them to buy overpriced gold coins instead of pure gold bullion ... More >>

LAX Concession Fight Continues Today; Contracting Wars Explained

​This morning the weirdly named Board of Referred Powers, which is a special L.A. City Council committee, will meet to discuss what has become a strangely controversial issue -- airport food. In short, everyone agrees the food is lousy (beating only -- yuck -- Newark's in one recent 18-city ... More >>

Janice Hahn Concerned About Conflicts On LAX Concession Contract

Janice Hahn: concerned and conflicted​The Board of Referred Powers, the L.A. City Council body charged with ruling on the lucrative LAX concessions contract, held just its second meeting in as many months yesterday.Not much got done, but Councilwoman Janice Hahn did say she was concerned about new ... More >>

Cárdenas Won't Take From LAX Concessions; But His Chief of Staff Will

Jose Cornejo (left) chats with his boss, Tony Cardenas​Earlier this week, we told you about the fundraiser that L.A. Councilman Tony Cárdenas will hold at El Paseo Inn. The fundraiser will be on July 29, the same day that Cårdenas presides over a hearing on the extremely lucrative LAX concession ... More >>

L.A. City Council To Award Massive LAX Concession Contracts

​Just about every lobbyist in Los Angeles was on hand Thursday for the first of several hearings on the proposed concession contracts at Los Angeles International Airport.The contracts are worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the concessionaires. Their lobbyists have been working the corridors ... More >>

Special Interests Spend Heavily on California Superintendent of Public Instruction Race

California superintendent candidate Tom Torlakson​If anyone thinks no one in California cared all that much about the little-known statewide race for superintendent of public instruction, think again. According to the state's Fair Political Practices Commission, special interest groups spent ... More >>

Food Fight at LAX

Purveyor of bland challenges plans to upgrade cuisine

Newsom Seeks Crackdown on Texting During Public Meetings

​San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, soon to take on Janice Hahn in the lieutenant governor's race, is proposing a crackdown on lobbyists texting the Board of Supervisors during public meetings.Apparently this is a common practice, and Newsom argues that it lacks transparency. Lobbyists get to say t ... More >>

Business Interests Fight Proposed Sign Ordinance

Lobbyists, union members and representatives of business owners in Los Angeles provided a unified front yesterday in their opposition to the city's proposed sign ordinance. "A business without a sign is no business," said Gary Toebben, president of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Toebben ... More >>

Did the High Life Turn Avocado Men's Minds Into Guacamole?

The new bling?A charming tongue-in-cheeker by the New York Times' Jesse McKinley looks at what happened when enough money got spread among avocado industry lobbyists. "Luxury suites. Shopping sprees. Four-star hotels. Such was life in the high-flying world of the California Avocado Commission . . . ... More >>

Election '08: Who Change What?

According to their new campaign ads, McCain and Palin, or, rather Palin and McCain are the new mavericks, the real agents of change. They'll clean up Washington with their maverick ways and outsider approaches. Uh huh. But they're no agents of change. Rather, they're alchemists, turning their hist ... More >>

Fabian, maybe it's the friends you keep

If you followed the election fine print - those ballot measures having nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain or Mitt Romney, you might be wondering what killed Proposition 93, the plan to alter California Term Limits for the first time since voters overwhelmingly passed the l ... More >>

¡Ask a Mexican! Mail Calls

Dear Mexican: Can you give me a good response when people ask me (often rudley), “What ARE you, anyway?”

Targeting a Weiss Guy

Westside homeowners are furious with their pro-development city councilman

New Year, Same Old Crap

Only an act of God will change moneygrubbing political parties

This Just In: Voters Snookered

One day after approval of so-called Big Reform measure, lobbyists remain in power at City Hall

It's About Term Limits, Stupid

A fight over a Home Depot exposes the true intent of Proposition R

Tit for Tat

The mayor and the council talk up a deal — LAUSD power for term-limit extensions

Bad Gas

Is city playing fast and loose with potential Playa disaster?

Stench of Politics

Industry money to the “Mod Caucus” fouls the fight for clean air

Double Trouble

Tom DeLay and his bid to buy the Texas Legislature

Not in My Neighborhood Council

What can save L.A.’s broken neighborhood councils?

Arnold’s State Control

Top-heavy plan to reshape government likely to bottom out

A Think Tank for Gays

The Williams Project is at the center of sexual-orientation law

Lonely Pioneers

Bush gives the boot to two of his richest pals in Texas

In the Lap of Lobbyists

The Griles Files

Inside Bush’s plan for California coast

The Swinging Door

A new council, rich lobbyists and a sheriff who doesn’t want to leave

Dreaming About Big Cars and Tax Cuts

Bush’s economic plan for Lamborghini owners

Letters

Jim Hahn’s L.A.

Waiting for the new status quo at City Hall

Out in the Cold

Imagining Santa Monica without Rand