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Posted on Tue, Nov. 08, 2005

LA mayor under fire for use of private jet


Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is under fire from some ethics watchdogs for using a private jet owned by a company that has a lobbyist assigned to City Hall.

Villaraigosa used the plane owned by Orange-based Ameriquest last week to fly to Detroit with an aide, his two-member security detail and another person after he received a last-minute invitation to speak at the funeral of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

Villaraigosa was paid $20,000 for doing consulting work for Ameriquest in 2001 and 2002, and the company has contributed nearly $200,000 to his two mayoral campaigns, his inaugural gala and a political committee he controlled while he was speaker of the Assembly.

"It's very troubling. It doesn't set a good standard for the new administration," said Robert Stern, president of the nonpartisan Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. "It's one of those perks the mayor should do without."

Janelle Erickson, a Villaraigosa spokeswoman, said the mayor's use of the aircraft was justified because he received the invitation on short notice. She said Villaraigosa would not allow it to influence his decisions on any matters affecting Ameriquest, which lends money to people with low incomes and poor credit.

"It will not interfere with his official duties," she said.

Erickson said Villaraigosa will dip into a political account and not taxpayer money to reimburse Ameriquest $438 each for himself and his aide - the amount commercial air carriers charge for Detroit flights.

But it costs much more than that to rent a small, private jet. Clay Lacy Aviation, a charter operator at Van Nuys Airport, would charge $3,900 per person for a flight to Detroit, said Chris Roca, a company spokeswoman.

City ethics laws bar officials from accepting gifts worth more than $100 from restricted sources, which include firms that employ City Hall lobbyists.

Ameriquest has set aside $325 million for potential settlements with 30 states over its lending practices.