PLEA DEAL STRUCK IN CORRUPTION CASE ATTORNEY O'DONNELL GETS $155,000 FINE.Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer Capping one of several political-corruption investigations at City Hall, prominent attorney Pierce O'Donnell pleaded no contest Thursday to making illegal campaign contributions to former Mayor James Hahn's 2001 campaign and was fined $155,000. In a deal struck with prosecutors, O'Donnell entered the no-contest plea to five misdemeanor misdemeanor, in law, a minor crime, in contrast to a felony. At common law a misdemeanor was a crime other than treason or a felony. Although it might be a grave offense, it did not affect the feudal bond or take away the offender's property. By the 19th cent. counts of using a false name while making political contributions to Hahn's election campaign. In exchange, prosecutors dropped 21 additional counts against O'Donnell and lesser charges against his personal trainer personal trainer person n → (persönlicher) Fitnesstrainer m, (persönliche) Fitnesstrainerin f , David Bernstein. O'Donnell had been accused of collecting $25,000 in political contributions and then reimbursing the employees and associates who made them. ``We need to send a message to people that are contributing to political campaigns that this kind of conduct is not acceptable,'' said Juliet Schmidt, a deputy prosecutor in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County District Attorney's Office's Public Integrity Division. O'Donnell, 58, could have faced up to six months in jail for each count, but instead was fined, placed on three years' probation and banned from political fundraising for three years. ``He is glad the charges are not going to be pursued against the others,'' said O'Donnell's attorney, George L. O'Connell. ``O'Donnell is going to be happy to get back to practicing law. It's what he lives for.'' But California State Bar officials said they will hold a hearing to determine whether to discipline O'Donnell, whose no-contest plea is the equivalent of a conviction. O'Donnell was not present for the hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court and did not return phone calls. Hahn also did not return calls, but he has previously said he was unaware that O'Donnell had reimbursed friends and co-workers for contributions made to his campaign. The state Fair Political Practices Commission and the city Ethics Commission In the United States, an Ethics Commission is a commission established by State law to discourage dishonest practices by their public employees and elected officials. Almost all American states have such a commission. still have complaints pending against O'Donnell for his contributions to the Hahn campaign. The Federal Election Commission also has a pending investigation against O'Donnell in a separate case involving nearly $45,000 contributed to the 2004 presidential campaign of John Edwards  This article or section contains information about one or more candidates in an upcoming or ongoing election.Content may change as the election approaches. . Charges were filed in June 2004 against O'Donnell and seven others, based on records compiled by the Ethics Commission. At the same time, county and federal grand juries were investigating contracting practices at City Hall after an audit by City Controller Laura Chick raised questions about a ``pay-to-play'' atmosphere at City Hall. No charges have been filed as a result of those probes. However, another Hahn fundraiser, real estate developer Mark Alan Abrams, has been charged with laundering political contributions to the former mayor and other city officials. And three former executives of Fleishman Hillard were indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. on federal charges that they knowingly overbilled the city Department of Water and Power on a public-relations contract. One of those executives, Steve Sugerman, has pleaded guilty, while the two others, Doug Dowie and John Stoddard, are awaiting trial. The firm agreed to pay $6 million to settle a civil lawsuit filed by the city. Experts say the investigations and criminal charges with their roots in City Hall helped lead to Hahn's re-election defeat in 2005 and also sparked ethics reform under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. . ``This is a very important case to resolve because money laundering The process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal. Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds. is one form of campaign violations,'' said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. ``It's a pretty hefty fine. ``And it absolutely sends a message that these types of violations will be prosecuted vigorously even against prominent people like O'Donnell.'' Despite the plea deal, prosecutors are refusing to drop a challenge to a judge's earlier dismissal of charges filed against O'Donnell's secretary, Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Valdez. She is charged with 17 counts of improperly identifying contributors. ``It is very unfair for the D.A. to drop the cases against all the defendants but her, the one person whose alleged role is the least culpable Blameworthy; involving the commission of a fault or the breach of a duty imposed by law. Culpability generally implies that an act performed is wrong but does not involve any evil intent by the wrongdoer. of all, Valdez's attorney, Michael Proctor Michael Anthony Proctor (born October 3 1980 in Sunderland, England) is an English footballer, currently playing for Wrexham. Career One unfortunate claim to fame occurred whilst playing for Sunderland in 2003, in a 3 - 1 defeat to Charlton Athletic, where Proctor scored said. ``All she is guilty of is nothing more than being a diligent dil·i·gent adj. Marked by persevering, painstaking effort. See Synonyms at busy. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d and hardworking secretary.'' Rachel Uranga, (818) 713-3741 rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) O'DONNELL |
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