PIC Chief Ramos Tells Council He Is Quitting

Faced with a choice of quitting his job or being forced out, Dominick J. Ramos submitted his resignation on Monday as president of the Los Angeles Private Industry Council.

Last week, the Private Industry Council (PIC) board of directors voted overwhelmingly to give Ramos, who has been under fire for a variety of allegations, until Monday to resign, effective April 30.

Mayor Tom Bradley issued a press release saying he had accepted Ramos’ resignation and declined to comment further.

Several members of the PIC board, which together with the city funnels $42 million a year in federal grants to local job training agencies, had suggested that Ramos serve as a consultant to the PIC operations committee during the search for a replacement. But Ramos said in an interview that he plans to continue to manage the PIC staff.

“As far as I’m concerned, between now and April 30 I am the boss,” Ramos said.

Subject of Inquiries

Ramos has been the subject of several inquiries into whether he mishandled a $160,000 marketing contract, solicited political campaign contributions from staff and board members, improperly used government funds to purchase a new Lincoln Continental and lied on his resume.

Addressing the specific charges for the first time, Robert J. Clark, the council’s chairman, said Monday that the allegations were “exaggerated” and in some cases unfounded.

“The police did not turn up any indication of criminal conduct,” Clark said. “It’s over. It’s been damn hard on Dominick and the board recognizes that. . . . He did not want to go out with a bunch of allegations hanging over his head. To the best of our knowledge, there are no further investigations.”

Clark said that Ramos was “incorrect” in advancing payments on a $160,000 contract to the Los Angeles public relations firm of Fouch-Roseboro without getting authorization from the board. One of the payments was made at a time when Fouch-Roseboro assertedly had fallen behind in living up to terms of its contract.

Campaign Hurt

“He went further than he should have in advancing those funds,” Clark said. The chairman noted that the marketing contract eventually was completed, although the effectiveness of the advertising campaign was hurt because it extended several months beyond the target dates.

Clark said he believes that if it were not for the troubles with the Fouch-Roseboro contract the other allegations would not have surfaced.

He said that while Ramos solicited contributions from two PIC staff members for tickets to a dinner to benefit Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre, the requests did not violate the federal Hatch Act. The act prohibits people who handle federal funds from soliciting campaign contributions in partisan races, but contests for the Los Angeles City Council are nonpartisan.

The contributions were for a $125-a-plate political dinner. “If I ask you if you want to buy a raffle ticket for a turkey, I don’t consider that hitting you up for some cause,” Clark said.

When Ramos used federal funds to purchase a new Lincoln Continental, “it was a stupid thing to do,” Clark said. Under his contract, Ramos was given $400 each month to lease an automobile. Last year, Ramos purchased the new luxury car without seeking to have his contract changed.

“Buying a Continental left him open to the criticism he is getting, rightfully,” Clark said.

Clark said he told Ramos that he will have to consult with the Internal Revenue Service to determine how much of the federal monies used to purchase and maintain the Lincoln should be reimbursed to the government.

Much of Ramos’ resume contained “beneficial wording,” Clark said.

For example, Ramos claimed he worked as a vice president in charge of corporate banking for 20 months at First Los Angeles Bank. In fact, he was a vice president in charge of IRA accounts at the bank for seven months.

“Many of us would not have phrased things the way he did, but we still feel the word ‘lie’ does not apply,” Clark said.

In his resignation letter, Ramos said: “Many of the goals which we set out to accomplish have been completed. . . . However, I feel it is time for me to return to the private sector and that the PIC should select someone new to help it accomplish its new goals.”

In an interview, Ramos said he had intended to leave the PIC in June, but wanted to wait until his name had been cleared.

“Am I vindicated? I don’t know . . .” Ramos said. “I would have liked to have left under better circumstances.”