Former LA Councilman Kevin de León faces $18,750 on ethics fine

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León could be fined up to $18,750 for ethics violations stemming from three votes in 2020-21 where he failed to disclose his financial ties to organizations benefiting from those decisions, the Los Angeles Times reported this weekend.

Two of the votes involved hotel properties operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation while the third was linked to a housing and community development that included USC's Keck School of Medicine.

All three votes came less than a year after the AIDS foundation and USC, combined, paid de León $264,231 in consulting fees, a violation of a city ordinance on campaign financing, lobbying, conflicts of interests and governmental ethics, according to The Times.

The Ethics report states that in May 2020, de León entered into a consulting agreement with the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF) and began providing services as a strategic policy advisor. The agreement provided that de León was to, among other things, “advise and strengthen strategy regarding partnerships and policy insights on behalf of HHF’s programs and portfolio,” and “[e]ngage with policymakers and regulators on all areas related to overall strategic goals of HHF.”

The violations were outlined in a city Ethics Commission staff report on a proposed settlement following de León's admission to "four counts of making or participating in a city decision in which he held a financial interest and one count of failing to disclose income," the report states.

In its report, the commission noted that "de León cooperated with staff and saved Ethics Commission resources by entering into this stipulated settlement before the preparation of a probable cause report; and (2) de León has no prior enforcement history with the Ethics Commission.

"However, enforcement staff noted the following aggravating circumstances: (1) the violations in this case are serious; and (2) the violations appear to indicate a pattern of conduct."

A spokesperson for de León said in a statement to The Times that: "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."

De León was elected March 8, 2020 to represent council District 14 and served from Oct. 15, 2020 to Dec. 8, 2024. He was defeated Nov. 8, 2024 by Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado after failing to overcome the political fallout incurred from being heard participating in a secretly recorded 2021 conversation in which crude and racist language was used by others.

Jurado defeated de León in spite of her own controversy that arose when she said "F___ the police" during a public campaign event.

Prior to his City Council term, de León served in the California state Assembly from 2006 to 2010.

It was unclear when a final decision would be made on whether to impose the ethics violation fine.

Additional reporting by City News Service.