Mayor Admits Mistakes, Denies Conflict of Interest

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  Acknowledging mistakes for the first time, Mayor Dave Garofalo said Thursday that he failed to properly record a change of ownership in his publishing company that produces a local newspaper and the city’s annual Visitors Guide--a relationship the city attorney began investigating this week.

City Atty. Gail Hutton will ask the state Fair Political Practices Commission to rule on the appropriateness of Garofalo’s votes on matters affecting advertisers in the publications, and two transactions involving property owned by the mayor.

Garofalo insisted Thursday that he hasn’t profited from either the Local News or the Visitors Guide since selling the businesses in December 1997. State and county records show that both publications are owned by David P. Garofalo and Associates Inc. His company is listed in the publications as publisher.

Garofalo said he voted based on advice he received from Hutton and the FPPC, but that he would take responsibility for what he described as paperwork errors in failing to record that he sold the business in December 1997.

“I have not nor will I ever knowingly commit a criminal offense while in public office,” Garofalo said from his office in City Hall. “Was there an imperfection [in filing ownership documents]? Yes.”