"We need to signal that this is a serious violation,"
"Ugarte said the failure to report the outside income was a "clerical reporting error.""
"There is great concern about what is happening in Los Angeles. ... Individuals routinely violate the laws we put in place to ensure trust,"
Jose Ugarte, deputy chief of staff to Councilmember Curren Price and council candidate, failed to disclose outside income from his consulting firm Ugarte & Associates for 2021–2023. The Los Angeles Ethics Commission rejected a proposed $17,500 settlement because two commissioners said the fine was insufficient, arguing a stronger penalty would signal seriousness. Commissioners Kulkarni and Kaufmann favored roughly $20,000. The settlement covered seven counts with possible $5,000 penalties each, totaling $35,000 before enforcement reduced the penalty by 50% for cooperation. Ugarte characterized the omission as a clerical reporting error and said the consulting did not overlap with his city work.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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