Agency pays official $250,000 after accusations deemed false

The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments has agreed to pay its former executive director more than $250,000 after a judge dismissed criminal conflict of interest charges against him and suggested politics was behind the case.

Nicholas Conway was charged by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office with four conflict of interest felony counts in 2012 for his role in how contracts and business were done at the agency.

But a judge last year tossed out the charges, ruling that there was “no crime period.” The judge appeared to agree with Conway that he acted openly and publicly in his handling of the contracts.

In the wake of the court clearing his name, Conway sought compensation for his legal defense and other expenses.

The body agreed last week to pay Conway and his company Arroyo Associates $175,194.49 for defense costs; $9,500 for attorney’s fees; $62,440.84 for resolving his dismissal in 2012 and $5,838.64 for an office lease.

All but one member of the joint powers authority that consists of 31 cities and three Los Angeles County supervisors approved the settlement.

In 2012, prosecutors charged Conway with benefiting from contracts he secured. Under an agreement between the council and Arroyo, the firm got money to manage specific state and county grants, which Conway obtained as executive director.

But Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Norm Shapiro sided with Conway’s legal team that he was doing what the council of governments directed and never violated conflict-of-interest laws.

Conway and his lawyers said in a statement that they believe that the complaints made to the district attorney’s office were politically motivated after he raised concerns about overspending on a rail project in the east San Gabriel Valley.

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