LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Governor Signs MTA Conflict-of-Interest Law
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Gov. Pete Wilson on Monday signed into law a bill intended to prohibit any voting member of the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority from influencing the awarding of contracts to campaign contributors on bids that are not competitive.
The bill was introduced in response to a Times article in December reporting that two senior aides to county Supervisor Deane Dana had voted to award $45.8 million in contract increases to Dana’s top campaign contributor, a Metro Rail subway builder. The bill applies only to the MTA.
State law already prohibited elected officials who serve on boards and commissions from voting on permits, licenses and contracts that are not competitively bid that affect campaign donors who have given $250 or more within the previous year. With Wilson’s signature of SB 761, by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), the prohibition will be extended to appointees of the officeholders who cast votes as their substitutes.
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