Ethics Rules Extended to New Elections

Emergency ethics rules imposed by the Los Angeles City Council for last month’s municipal elections were extended Tuesday to future elections to fill two council vacancies.

The rules require that political parties, unions and other organizations that spend more than $10,000 to support or oppose city candidates must disclose their actions to the city Ethics Commission at least seven days before the election.

In addition, candidates conducting telephone campaigns involving more than 1,000 phone calls must provide the Ethics Commission with a script and disclose the sponsor.

Similar emergency measures were approved for the June 5 election to close a loophole in state law that allowed political parties in April to spend millions of dollars without disclosing the source of the money.

That kind of intervention without disclosure is unfair to voters, council members said.

The rules will apply to the Sept. 11 special election to fill the 4th District seat left vacant by the death of John Ferraro. The district extends from Windsor Square to North Hollywood.

The rules also will apply to a special election that probably will be held in mid-January to fill the 2nd District seat being vacated by Joel Wachs, who is leaving for a job with an art foundation.