For Immediate Release: June 25, 2019
Contact: Nancy Jackson (213) 978-1960
At its meeting today, the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission imposed a penalty of $100,795 on Eugene Day, a former City official, for engaging in unauthorized outside employment and for misusing his City position to create a private benefit for himself.
Day stipulated to factual representations that support the Ethics Commission’s determination that Day violated the Governmental Ethics Ordinance (GEO). During his employment with the Department of Building and Safety, Day served as the City plumbing inspector for a large construction project located at 6500 Selma Avenue in Hollywood. At the same time, Day’s company, All Day Plumbing, was the plumbing subcontractor for the Selma Avenue project. As a result, Day was inspecting and approving his own company’s plumbing work on that project. Day did not seek or obtain written approval from his general manager to engage in outside employment, but he received $95,795 in payments from All Day Plumbing during the time that the company provided plumbing services to the Selma Avenue project.
“This decision confirms that City officials taking advantage of their positions for private gain will not be tolerated,” said Ethics Commission President Melinda Murray. “The Ethics Commission will continue to take a strong stand against conduct that threatens the public’s trust in the integrity of City government.”
The GEO prohibits City officials from misusing or attempting to misuse their City positions or authority to create or attempt to create a private advantage or disadvantage of any kind for any person. Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) § 49.5.5(A). In addition, City officials may not accept payments for outside employment without obtaining prior written approval from their general managers or other appointing authorities. LAMC § 49.5.7(C)(1). Approval for outside employment must be denied if, among other things, the City official would perform acts in that outside employment that could later be subject to the inspection or review of the City official’s agency. LAMC § 49.5.7(C)(3)(a)(ii).
All penalties levied by the Ethics Commission are paid to the City’s general fund. Enforcement orders can be viewed and searched through the Ethics Commission’s Public Data Portal.
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The Ethics Commission was created by Los Angeles voters in 1990 to impartially administer and enforce the City’s governmental ethics, campaign financing, and lobbying laws.