Los Angeles’ ethics watchdog has quietly rewritten election rules just weeks before a June 2 primary – handing an electoral advantage to the official tasked with auditing how the city spends its billions.
The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission scrapped a long-standing requirement that candidates must participate in public debates to unlock taxpayer-funded campaign cash – a move that will deliver City Controller Kenneth Mejia, a radical Green Party incumbent and the city’s top financial watchdog, access to $500,000.
“It’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever seen in my career,” said longtime political consultant Rick Taylor, who represents Mejia’s challenger, Zach Sokoloff.
“I call it the ‘unethical department’ because I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Under Los Angeles’ previous public financing rules, candidates could receive $6 in taxpayer funds for every $1 they raise privately provided they participated in a public debate with their opponent.
This will equate to about $504,000 in the controller’s race alone.
The city is expected to hand out as much as $15 million during the primaries.
The rule change follows Sokoloff’s decision to opt out of both debates and taxpayer funding – a move that, under the old system, would have blocked Mejia from accessing public cash or participating in a debate.
But weeks after Sokoloff’s team formally notified the City Attorney and Ethics Commission of that decision, they say officials instead rewrote the rules.
“They didn’t respond. They just changed the rules,” Taylor said.
Under the revised guidelines, campaigns can now host their own town hall-style events instead of participating in formal debates to qualify for matching funds — opening the door for Mejia to tap taxpayer dollars that were previously out of reach.
Mejia, who earns $274,000 a year overseeing city finances, has built his political brand as a watchdog — frequently criticizing LAPD spending and pushing for programs like guaranteed income and housing.
View this post on Instagram 3 Sokoloff raised his own money and opted out of taxpayer funding. Instagram/zachforcontroller That spending has drawn intense scrutiny.
At least $2.6 billion in taxpayer cash has gone toward buying and renovating hotels, motels and dorms for the unhoused since 2020 – including units costing up to $1.5 million per room.
View this post on Instagram He has produced just 11 audits in three years, compared to 108 completed by his predecessor, Ron Galperin.
While one of his highest-profile reviews targeted LAPD’s $46 million helicopter program, critics note he has not audited the billions flowing into homelessness programs.
The funding includes roughly $1.3 billion from Governor Gavin Newsom’s Homekey program, matched by another $1.3 billion from Los Angeles city and county sources.
Mejia also pledged to audit Mayor Karen Bass’ “Inside Safe” homelessness initiative – but nearly three years later, that review has yet to materialize.
Meanwhile, hundreds of millions in unpaid cannabis taxes remain outstanding, according to the campaign, and only about five of the city’s roughly 40 departments have been audited during Mejia’s tenure.
“The people of Los Angeles are bearing the cost,” Sokoloff said.
The Post reached out to Mejia’s campaign and the City Ethics Commission for comment.
