Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido will not face criminal charges stemming from his vote in favor of a city contract for a man who was involved in a land-swap with his family, the District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
According to a report by prosecutors, “we reached the conclusion that the filing of criminal charges was not warranted, but administrative charges and penalties are appropriate sanctions for unlawful conduct to which Mayor Pulido has admitted.”
The state Fair Political Practices Commission has imposed a $13,000 fine as part of a settlement with Pulido.
In an agreement with the FPPC, Pulido admitted he committed six violations of the Political Reform Act.
The commission faulted Pulido for failing to disclose information on economic interest forms and voting on a contract with a vendor in Santa Ana that engaged in a business deal with him.
Pulido’s problems started with a land trade in September 2010. His family received a house in Westminster in exchange for the homeowners receiving land for a parking lot behind their business, Orange County Auto Parts.
“During the property transfer process, Mayor Pulido’s father and (co- owner Rupen James) Akoubian signed a preliminary change of ownership report characterizing the transaction as an exchange worth $200,000,” according to the FPPC.
“The Orange County assessor disputed the value of the Westminster home, finding it to be worth $430,000. However, Mayor Pulido maintains that the parking lot actually was worth more than the Westminster home. During the investigation of this case, he paid for and provided a supporting appraisal of $720,000.”
Four months after the land swap, Pulido voted Jan. 4, 2011, to renew a contract with Akoubian’s auto parts store for one year for a fee not to exceed $50,000. The proposal was on a consent calendar Pulido voted for.
The commission noted Akoubian “was a source of income to Mayor Pulido” because of the swap.
“At the time of the vote, Mayor Pulido knew or should have known that the vote would have a financial effect on Mr. Akoubian because the vote pertained to renewing a contract with Mr. Akoubian’s auto parts store for a one- year period in an amount up to $50,000,” according to the commission, which noted it was a conflict of interest.
Pulido’s father and siblings conveyed their interest in the Westminster home to Pulido, who sold it for $397,000 in August 2012. Pulido failed to report the sale of the home on economic interest forms for OCTA and the AQMD.
Pulido should have known better, the commission said in its report.
Pulido “is a sophisticated individual with ample reason and opportunity to become familiar with the requirements” of the commission, according to its report on the mayor.
“He holds a degree in mechanical engineering, and he has served as the mayor of Santa Ana for more than 20 years,” the commission wrote. “This was more than an inadvertent oversight.”
The District Attorney’s Report disputed allegations that the property exchange amounted to “an ongoing disguised bribe of the mayor.
“The investigation found that these assertions against Akoubian and Mayor Pulido … were inaccurate and unsupported by the evidence,” according to the report.
— City News Service