Serena Oberstein and John Lee attack each other over morality

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record – City Hall's newsletter. It's Dakota Smith at the helm, assisted by David Zaniser.

A stretch limousine and a chainsaw.

Mixed images appear on political mail in the northwest San Fernando Valley in an increasingly heated race for Los Angeles City Council.

The two candidates, Councilman John Lee and his challenger, Serena Oberstein, are attacking each other as untrustworthy in the lead-up to Tuesday's election.

Oberstein, a nonprofit leader who lives in Northridge, has been sending mailers with photos of limousines, poker chips and slot machines to highlight the Ethics Commission's ongoing case against Lee, who was charged in October with 10 violations of the city's ethics code, including several Dealings with accepting gifts by politicians.

Meanwhile, Lee and his supporters are sending mailers trying to paint Oberstein — who was once chair of the Ethics Commission — as a hypocrite, noting that she violated a city law barring her from running for office in 2019, prompting a judge to make a decision on her behalf. To remove her from the ballot.

Both candidates are seeking the council seat in District 12, which covers Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Sherwood Forest, Granada Hills and Northridge.

Lee has the support of several municipal unions, including those representing city police officers and Water and Electricity Ministry workers, in his re-election bid. He has benefited from more than $1 million in outside spending.

The case against Lee stems from meals and concessions he accepted in Los Angeles and Las Vegas several years ago. He also was accused of trying to mislead federal authorities about whether he and his then-boss, Councilman Mitch Englander, provided compensation for gifts received during the Vegas trip.

Both men backdated the checks to make it appear as if they had previously repaid a businessman, the city Ethics Commission charged. Englander was later sentenced to prison for lying to federal authorities.

Lee, who lives in Porter Ranch and was first elected in 2019, has denied any wrongdoing. He told the Times that he showed ethics commission investigators evidence, including his bank accounts.

“I gave them access because I had nothing to hide,” he told me in January.

The Times asked Pat Dennis, a Lee campaign adviser, to show the evidence provided by his boss. Dennis declined, citing the ongoing case. Lee's office also declined to explain how Lee would pay for his legal defense in the ethics case.

To date, the councilman has not formed a fundraising committee for his legal funds.

Meanwhile, Lee's supporters have been attacking Oberstein over the legal case that led to her being removed from the ballot five years ago.

Oberstein launched her campaign in 2019, but a judge ruled she was ineligible to run because she had recently served on the Ethics Committee, which recommends campaign policies and imposes fines. Ethics commissioners are barred from running for city office for two years if they cast certain votes affecting that position.

At the time, Oberstein said the city told her she could run.

One attack ad portrays Oberstein as a hypocrite, a forest-loving politician who cuts trees with a chainsaw.

Lindsay Bubar, an adviser to Oberstein's campaign, said Lee's campaign tactics are an attempt to “distract voters from the serious allegations he faces.”

The accusations against Lee did not stop Mayor Karen Bass from endorsing the council member last week. Bas Councilor Youssef Robb declined to respond when asked about the mayor's opinion on the allegations against Lee.

“I endorsed him for partnering with him in her work to bring unhoused Angelenos indoors,” Robb said, referring to Bass’ work on homelessness with the council member.

When asked about the mayor's endorsement, Bubar said the election is a “referendum on moral leadership.” Her statement also pointed to the fact that Lee did not list “any party preference” on his voter registration.

“Serena remains the only Democrat in this race who has built a broad, bipartisan coalition of people and leaders across the community who are standing up to demand a corruption-free city,” she said.

Playing status

— STAYING AWAY FROM HLA: Bass continued to give the fight over the HLA measure the silent treatment this week, declining to specify whether she supports or opposes a ballot measure that would require hundreds of miles of bus and bike lanes. She remained calm even when FOX11's Elex Michaelson pressed her during the interview. “I'll get back to you,” she said.

– Trial by Fire: Residents near Cahuenga Boulevard and Franklin Avenue in Hollywood have been on edge in recent months due to a series of homeless encampment fires. The sidewalk encampments in the area have created a political headache for Council Member Nithya Raman, who is running for re-election, and Labas, who has already carried out two safe-haven operations in the neighborhood, only to see the area fill up with residents.

– Showing progress: Raman and Kevin De Leon, who are in tough races for re-election, talked about the progress they have made in reducing street encampments in their districts. Both candidates succeeded in reducing street homelessness by 7% in their districts, albeit over different time frames.

– FRIENDLY ON THE 14th: De Leon was at the center of a massive political scandal in 2022. But the eight-way race to succeed him has been mostly polite, with several candidates seeking to emphasize their positive vision for the region. By far, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago has been the most violent, sending out several attack ads targeting de Leon.

– DA Bucks: The Times looked at the money being raised, and the ads being produced, in the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney. Then there is also the overarching question: which of the many candidates are running against Dest? Atty. Will George Gascón manage to get out of the group?

— Battling Barger: Los Angeles County Supervisor Katherine Barger may be a Republican, but as a candidate for a third and final term, she's taking steps that would be standard fare for a Democrat. Barger has touted her support from labor unions, the Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood, while also discussing her willingness to stand up to the NRA.

– Anti-Photoshop: Assemblyman Chris Holden, who is now running against Barger, said his office is filing an FPPC complaint against a political action committee that used an edited photo of him in campaign mailers. The California Family Business Alliance (PAC) produced mailers criticizing Holden for free trips he took abroad — which he said were for research — and showed an edited photo of him taking a selfie and holding his passport. “This is illegal,” he said, adding: “I don’t have a jacket like that.”

– PAC responds: PAC spokeswoman Kelly Jarman brushed off the criticism, saying it's common for campaigns to use Photoshop to “comic” a candidate's behavior.

– MORE TO GIVE: The Ethics Commission announced Friday that it is increasing the maximum amounts donors can contribute to candidates for city offices. Donors will be allowed to give $1,000 to council candidates and $1,800 to candidates for mayor, city attorney and city comptroller.

– Mail Chaos: Campaign correspondence promoting Councilwoman Heather Huit, who is running in Tuesday's election in the South Los Angeles district, has become the subject of controversy on the campaign trail. The Hutt consultant said she was not responsible for the mailer and had no knowledge of him.

Fast strokes

Where is inside safe? The mayor's anti-homelessness program did not launch any new operations this week. Instead, Bass traveled with a delegation to Sacramento, where she announced that the city had received $60 million in reimbursements for COVID-19 expenses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are elections! Don't forget to vote!