3:03pm | An Op-Ed article in the Los Angeles Times today examines the relationship between longtime Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and his son, lobbyist Matt Knabe.
Supervisor Knabe represents a massive district that includes the City of Long Beach.
The author, Jim Newton, asks whether it’s a conflict of interest to have son working on issues that father eventually votes on. In interviews, both say that there’s no conflict. But Newton cites county lobbyist rules that prohibit any personal obligation. His general argument can be summed up with this line:
None of this adds up to a conflict of interest in the legal sense. Matt Knabe is a grown-up and entitled to make a living. Don Knabe is an elected official expected to make judgments and approve contracts.
But it’s awfully close.
Some people that Newton talks to do not believe that the relationship is improper. This is not proof that they’re right, Newton says. Instead, it is precisely the problem, and that the indifference sets the bar too low for public officials.
Click here to check out the article. What do you think?