Neil Papiano - Hal Bernson Scandal

Hal Bernson Scandal

In 2000, Papiano became involved in an investigation by the Los Angeles Ethics Commission over what the Los Angeles Times called his "long and controversial" relationship with Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson. According to the Times, Bernson paid Papiano $140,000 for a half-interest in an ocean-view condominium with an assessed value of $387,000. Allegations also arose that Papiano's law firm had provided free legal services to Bernson while the Ethics Commission was investigating Bernson for using officeholder accounts to buy season tickets to the Hollywood Bowl. However, these services were not those provided by Papiano, considered a "volunteer" lawyer, but by two lawyers and a paralegal at the firm who at one point used about 10 percent of their time during certain months of 1996-97 on the Bernson matter. Bernson ultimately agreed to pay $3,000 in fines for accepting excessive free legal services, and the Commission also imposed a $4,000 fine on Papiano's law firm. The fine was the first of its kind issued by the Ethics Commission. While Papiano's firm claimed that it did not know its free legal work for Bernson could be considered a campaign contribution, Ethics Commissioner Dale Bonner questioned the claim by the law firm. The stipulated agreement signed by Bernson and Papiano's firm admitted: "The councilman and his officeholder expense fund committee were never billed by the firm and the councilman and his officeholder expense fund committee never paid for the legal services . . . " The Los Angeles Times also reported that an independent hearing officer reported that "Papiano told ethics officials that he would provide detailed information about how money from Bernson's officeholder account was used to buy Hollywood Bowl tickets if ethics officials would agree to drop the case against Bernson."