洛杉磯市長享受贈票被罰款

因接受贈票免費觀看NBA比賽和演唱會等文體活動，洛杉磯市市長安東尼奧•維拉萊戈薩將被罰款4.2萬美元，這是加州歷史上數額最高的道德罰款。做出這項罰款決定的是加州公平政治實踐委員會(FPPC)和洛杉磯市道德委員會(LAEC)，他們指出，維拉萊戈薩自2005年當選市長以來，共接受了30多場演出活動的贈票，但未進行上報備案。這些活動包括NBA洛杉磯湖人隊和洛杉磯道奇棒球隊的比賽、奧斯卡頒獎禮、2009年“美國偶像”決賽，以及辣妹組合演唱會等。洛杉磯市道德委員會同時指出，維拉萊戈薩接受的贈票來自與該市有商業往來的公司和機構，這一做法也是違規的。加州公平政治實踐委員會允許受罰者用自籌資金或者競選捐贈基金來支付罰款。維拉萊戈薩的發言人表示，他將專門開設一個法定基金帳戶專門支付各類贈票的票款。

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has agreed to pay a fine of $42,000 for accepting free tickets to shows and sports events such as Lakers games, in the largest ethics-related fine a California agency has ever imposed.

Villaraigosa took tickets to more than 30 events in the five years after he became mayor in 2005, according to documents released on Friday by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Those included Los Angeles Lakers basketball and Dodgers baseball games, the Academy Awards, a 2009 "American Idol" finale and a Spice Girls concert, the Fair Political Practices Commission said.

The agency's executive director Roman Porter said this is the largest ethics-related fine it has ever imposed, but it has administered bigger fines for campaign finance violations.

The nearly $42,000 fine breaks down as a $21,000 penalty from the Fair Political Practices Commission and $20,849 from the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.

Villaraigosa should have reported the tickets as gifts, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission.

The City Ethics Commission also found he erred by taking free tickets from companies and organizations that had business with the city, such as Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).

AEG has a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, and it owns Staples Center where the team plays and where numerous concerts are held throughout the year.

"The FPPC and Ethics Commission recognized that supporting entertainment, sports, and other cultural events is an important governmental function, and something our city's mayor should do," Villaraigosa said in a statement.

"I will continue to attend these events and have taken the necessary steps to ensure full compliance in the future."

The Fair Political Practices Commission allows politicians to pay their fines with their own money or campaign donations.

A spokeswoman for Villaraigosa said he opened a legal defense fund on Friday to cover expenses related to tickets.

The fine must still be approved by the Fair Political Practices Commission when it meets on April 11, and by the City Ethics Commission when it meets the next day.

Villaraigosa was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 2005, becoming the city's first Latino mayor since the 19th century. He was reelected in 2009.