Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León could be handing over up to $18,750 for a series of ethics violations. According to a report by the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, unearthed by the Los Angeles Times, de León admitted to participating in decisions where he had a financial stake and for failing to disclose his income on time.
The issues at hand date back to 2020-21, when de León voted on matters benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and USC, both organizations he had ties. The commission’s staff report, flagged by City News Service, reveals that de León had already pocketed $264,231 in consulting fees from the two entities before casting his votes. These actions, according to the ethics watchdog, smack of a conflict of interest and raise questions about a possible pattern of conduct.
The agreement with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation was meant to provide strategic policy advice, as enunciated by the Times' report. Within a year of this consulting agreement, de León participated in three separate city decisions that affected the foundation without disclosing the financial relationship. Despite the findings, a spokesperson for de León asserted that the councilmember's actions centered on disclosure, not personal gain.
"This matter centers on disclosure — not personal gain. The items in question provided homeless housing during a pandemic and health services to vulnerable Angelenos. They passed unanimously, and had Councilmember de León been advised that he should recuse himself, he would have done so without hesitation — the outcomes would have been the same," the spokesperson told the Times. Such a stance suggests that the councilmember was unaware of the need to abstain from voting under these circumstances.
The timeline of the votes, in question, shows that de León was involved in approving historical designation for the King Edward Hotel and leasing agreements for the Retan Hotel, properties operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Moreover, he voted on a city plan that included funding for the USC Keck School of Medicine. This, less than 12 months after receiving a $155,000 paycheck from USC as an independent contractor. De León has been criticized, not just for the apparent conflicts but for the inadequacy of his financial disclosures once in office.
