Los Angeles Metropolis Controller Kenneth Mejia loves to point out off his two corgis, displaying them on his social media accounts, his monetary stories and his reelection marketing campaign supplies.
Cardboard cutouts of corgis even adorn the doorway to Mejia’s workplace at Metropolis Corridor East, making it resemble the dorm room of an particularly proud canine dad or mum.
Now, Mejia’s corgis are the topic of a grievance submitted to the town’s Ethics Fee, alleging that the controller has impermissibly blurred the strains between his authorities communications and his marketing campaign operation.
Former State Sen. Isadore Corridor, trying to unseat Mejia in June, conceded in his grievance that the corgi pictures — particularly the one meant to appear like Sherlock Holmes, with a pipe and magnifying glass — are “cute.”
However, Corridor instructed that the graphics run afoul of a metropolis regulation barring candidates from utilizing metropolis assets, because the cap-wearing corgi seems each on Mejia’s official metropolis web site and on his marketing campaign yard indicators.
Los Angeles Metropolis Controller Kenneth Mejia makes use of pictures of corgis, typically sporting a pipe and a magnifying glass, on his web site, his marketing campaign supplies and even the doorway to his workplace at Metropolis Corridor East.
(David Zahniser / Los Angeles Occasions)
“These practices, if substantiated, undermine public confidence within the neutrality of the Metropolis Controller’s workplace and violate clear prohibitions on utilizing public belongings for marketing campaign benefit,” Corridor mentioned in his grievance.
The grievance, and the give attention to the controller’s signature mascots, has despatched the race for the town’s high auditor place in an uncommon path. Jane Nguyen, a Mejia marketing campaign spokesperson, pushed again on the concept the controller didn’t adjust to metropolis regulation, whereas additionally suggesting that Corridor is “jealous of our cute corgi graphics.”
In an e-mail, Nguyen mentioned it’s frequent for politicians to make use of related designs and coloration schemes of their campaigns and their official authorities duties. On the identical time, she mentioned the “Sherlock corgi” utilized in metropolis publications is completely different from the one in Mejia’s reelection marketing campaign.
“He’s carrying glasses in a single model and isn’t carrying glasses within the different model,” she mentioned.
David Tristan, government director of the town’s Ethics Fee, which levies fines when imposing native marketing campaign finance legal guidelines, declined to remark, saying his workplace “can not verify or deny the existence of a grievance or investigation.”
Legal professional Jessica Levinson, a former Ethics Fee president, mentioned the company responds critically to allegations that metropolis assets have been misused for marketing campaign functions. Nonetheless, she voiced doubts that Corridor’s grievance would result in a significant ethics case.
“This isn’t the kind of factor that’s going to topple democracy,” she mentioned. “Even when the allegations are true, I don’t suppose this weighs notably closely on the minds of voters.”
Corridor, 53, is basing his grievance on a metropolis regulation that bars metropolis staff from utilizing metropolis automobiles, e-mail lists, provides or different municipal assets for marketing campaign functions. For instance, metropolis staff can not participate in marketing campaign actions whereas carrying uniforms with “official metropolis insignia.”
The grievance goes past Mejia’s corgis, that are a diminutive herding breed beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Corridor additionally contends that the controller’s marketing campaign brand, font colours and different design parts match the branding on his official metropolis web site, making it seem that the town is successfully endorsing his reelection bid.
Nguyen mentioned Mejia’s corgi pictures and different designs had been created as a part of his 2022 marketing campaign, with out utilizing metropolis assets. She additionally mentioned that the marketing campaign brand is “far completely different” from the controller’s metropolis brand, because it comprises the phrase “for.”
Mejia, 35, has confirmed to be a savvy purveyor of selling, distributing corgi stickers at group occasions and sending his employees to Metropolis Council conferences in inexperienced metropolis controller jackets. He and his staff are equally strategic about publicizing knowledge on homelessness spending, authorized payouts and different metropolis bills.
On his marketing campaign web site, Mejia described himself as “the daddy of two corgis, Killa and Kirby. He’s identified for bringing his canine to work, strolling them down the marble corridors of Metropolis Corridor. In addition they confirmed up this yr on an Instagram video the place Mejia and his employees carried out choreographed strikes to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” outdoors Metropolis Corridor.
Former state Sen. Isadore Corridor has filed an ethics grievance towards Metropolis Controller Kenneth Mejia, his opponent within the June election.
(Isadore Corridor for Controller)
Corridor has confronted scrutiny over his personal election actions.
In 2014, The Occasions reported that Corridor’s Senate committees spent $7,812 on cigars and membership at cigar lounges, $42,000 on airfare and inns and $11,000 to remain on the Fairmont Lodge in Kihei, Hawaii, throughout a convention.
Corridor defended the expenditures, saying they had been for marketing campaign fundraisers, dinners with potential donors and different political actions. He received his Senate race and made an unsuccessful run for Congress two years later.
Nguyen, in her e-mail, identified that Corridor was additionally accused of illegally utilizing basic election donations to pay for his major marketing campaign for Congress in 2016. In response to these and different violations, the Federal Election Fee issued a $24,000 penalty to Corridor’s marketing campaign.
Corridor mentioned earlier this yr that he discovered from the expertise and had held his accountant accountable for the error.
Corridor is just not the one candidate working towards Mejia. On Tuesday, leisure business government Zachary Sokoloff formally launched his personal bid for controller, promising to deliver a “problem-solving method to Metropolis Corridor.” Sokoloff, 36, mentioned he would “lead by listening” and “deliver folks collectively to repair what’s damaged.”
Rick Taylor, Sokoloff’s marketing campaign strategist, mentioned he views Corridor’s ethics grievance as “not related” to the upcoming marketing campaign.
“Let’s give attention to what the general public needs to know,” he mentioned. “They need to know who’s succesful and competent and may do the job.”
