Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido has agreed to pay $13,000 in fines to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) stemming from a personal land deal with a city contractor, according to the O.C. Register.
The fines stem from a land swap wherein Pulido traded a parking lot next to his brother’s muffler shop to auto parts provider Rupen Akoubian, who runs a NAPA auto parts store located next to the parking lot in question. Akoubian swapped a home in Westminster for the parking lot so he could expand his business.
Pulido accidentally voted to renew a city auto parts contract with Akoubian after it was included in a City Council consent calendar. Pulido should have abstained from that vote but the City Attorney at that time neglected to advise him to do so. That City Attorney has since retired.
The contract with Akoubian was recommended by city staff and unanimously approved by the City Council, and the FPPC found no evidence that Pulido influenced city staff or council members – because he didn’t talk to anyone about the contract renewal.
The home that was traded to Pulido was valued at the time at $430,000. The parking lot has since been valued at $720,000.
This entire case was ridiculous. Pulido failed to file or improperly filing required financial disclosures detailing his property ownership, the transaction with Akoubian and his subsequent sale of the house he got from Akoubian. That was it – those were mistakes but certainly were not criminal in nature.
Pulido’s opponents are now going to have to find a better reason to oppose him. He figures to run for reelection again in 2016 and should win easily particularly if his opponent ends up being Councilman David Benavides again.
Did he borrow the $13,000?
Probably.
I am not sure anyone cares outside of the thirteen regular commenters who populate the OC blogs.
The Voice of OC has become completely predictable in it’s reporting. I for one love the self-grandiose photo Noberto Santana posts in his columns. It kind of reminds me of the character “Animal” on the Lou Grant show.
This has all devolved, from what you and others created to petty characters staking claims. In the case of the Voice Of Orange County, you have a petty character who was bought and paid for by public employee unions, to the degree that on Ex OC Register runs that arm of the OCEA and another is soon to be running the OCEA.
Stevie Wonder can see what’s going on, and if the propaganda arm of the OCEA is so concerned with Miguel Pulido, that it put’s their only reporter on him repeatedly, I would ask WHY?
This all a lot to do with petty, insider politics.
He needs to be ousted, sounds too shady too me
Anonymous. The beauty of America is it is EASY to oust someone. Just get an electable candidate to oppose him. As long as you have a High School dropout, a philanderer and a lawyer for theMexican Mafia, you are stuck with Pulido.
Why don’t people understand this?
once again the tiny dark lord gets away with it and once again pedroza is there to make excuses for him. pathetic!
Got away with what? Pulido did not push for the auto parts deal. The issue was on a consent calendar. The council voted unanimously for it. The parking lot was worth more than the house. Please explain what he got away with?
Josehead,
Who exactly do you propose replacing Pulido; Benavides? Reyna? Maybe an Orange Park Acres Resident (choose Sarmiento or Lomeli). The reality is this Lou Correa backed down, Joe Dunn backed down.
The best hope for replacing Miguel is to wait until for Valerie Amezcua to lose 125 pounds, borrow $50,000. from her Dad’s Criminal Defense Law Firm and hope no one else who can speak and write in competent ENGLISH runs against her.
There is problem with that though…………….It doesn’t have to do with Val’s love for Whoppers or her Lap Band (which taxpayers are paying for).
To Be Continued.
“Pulido accidentally voted to renew a city auto parts contract with akoubian after it was included in a city council consent calendar. Pulido should have abstained from that vote but the city attorney at that time neglected to advise him to do so” wtf?! so its the city attorneys fault? Pulido doesn’t know any better after how many years? they didn’t fine him for nothing.
Do you know anything about how City Councils do business? The Council Members vote for a ton of items on the Consent Calendar, and while you would hope that they look at it carefully they don’t always do so. The City Attorney should have reminded Pulido to abstain. There is a reason that the City Attorney retired shortly after this happened.
ORALE another W for the Vato Loco from el D.F. THEY CAN’T STOP YOU MIGGY!