Bar Leader Puts Blame On Candidate Meyers

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Page 7

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Bar Leader Puts Blame On Candidate Meyers

Dear Editor:

Thank you for pointing out the issues related to the LA County Bar Association and the candidates for district attorney. (Perspectives, “Is Danette Meyers the LACBA Candidate for District Attorney?”, May 17.)

As a past member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Directors, past president of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association and an individual who has held several commission positions on state, county and municipal boards and commissions, I find it personally offensive that someone would permit this type of political chicanery to be a part of their campaign. If done intentionally, one must question the integrity of a candidate willing to “walk so close to that line” or even “cross over” for their personal gain. If done unintentionally by campaign staff, excited volunteers, etc, the campaign needs to straighten it out immediately and either make certain that campaign staff is well aware of the ethics and integrity that will go into that campaign or fire those who seem unable to follow that direction.

This finding was particularly disturbing and somewhat ironic, in that what you pointed out as wrong is taking place in this race for the office of district attorney. A public safety office that under Steve Cooley developed one of the most active and significant public integrity units in our state and has done so much in enforcing ethics and integrity laws.

Candidates that will engage in such activities or will not correct them should they have been inadvertent or done unknowingly by aggressive and active supporters and campaign staff or volunteers, are telling us something about themselves. They are telling us both what they will be like in office and that they do not deserve the office that they seek.

We will see what this candidate does, now that your newspaper has properly exposed the improprieties in her campaign.

LEE KANON ALPERT

Encino

(The column on which the writer comments criticized the impropriety of an appearance that that has been created that LACBA is embracing the candidacy of Meyers, a past president of the group, for district attorney. It pointed to a link from the LACBA website to Meyers campaign website; an endorsement of Meyers by Alan Steinbrecher and mention on the Meyers website that he is “Current LA County Bar President”; and the endorsement of Meyers by LACBA Executive Director Sally Suchil, though her title does not appear. Alpert interestingly, and with seeming merit, looks at the situation from the standpoint of Meyers’ role in using her website to project an image of LACBA support. LACBA has taken down the link but explained, through a spokesperson, that putting it up was “an honest mistake” by a staff member who did not know the URL was that of a campaign website. The address, on its face, is that of a campaign: “http://www.danetteforda.com”—and even a quick glance at the website reveals its nature. Meyers has made no changes on her website.)