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ELECTION 2024 - In the final weeks of any busy election cycle, especially one where we are voting on the next U.S. president and the future of our democracy, there is always a barrage of campaigning happening across Los Angeles from canvassing, phone banking, texting, postcarding, fundraisers, mailers, forums, and more. With so much energy being poured into getting out the vote, campaign ethics violations get overlooked, go unreported, and remain hidden from the scrutiny of working people who live busy lives and want to trust that our elections and democratic system are fair and ethical.
This past August, Graciela Ortiz, a former elected official from Huntington Park who is running for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board District 5 seat this November, engaged in unethical campaign activity with the help of her political allies who are elected officials for the City of Maywood. Together, they engaged in unethical one-sided campaigning at a swim day for special needs families organized by the City of Maywood (“Team Maywood”) and the Southeast Rio-Vista YMCA.
The City of Maywood is just southeast of Los Angeles City and is one of the 31 municipalities served by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Southeast Los Angeles is an area that has seen its fair share of shady politicians and scandals that have left residents sensitive to the unethical activities we have seen from the Ortiz campaign for LAUSD School Board.
Los Angeles City’s campaign ethics codes prohibit city officials and city employees from using their positions to create an advantage or disadvantage for any person running for public office. Further, city officials and city employees shall not engage in political activity in any manner that implies they are speaking on behalf of the City or communicating a City position. These ethics codes are good and important for the sustainability of our democracy, but they are being ignored by the Ortiz campaign with the help of Maywood elected officials. Those who have followed Ortiz closely understand that she is no stranger to unethical behavior, especially considering the scandalous events that led to Ortiz’s temporary removal from her LAUSD Pupil Services and Attendance Supervisor position earlier this year.
Now Ortiz showing up to this swim day as a supportive community member bringing snacks and water, and grilling some hot dogs would have been on the up-and-up and totally fine. But what Ortiz also did at this city-organized event was campaign and promote her run for school board by bringing a large stack of her campaign tote bags that clearly state “Graciela Ortiz for LAUSD School Board.” This large stack of campaign tote bags was prominently displayed on the same table next to the event food, snacks, and refreshments, and was in plain sight of the Mayor of Maywood, Eddie de la Riva.
Community members at the swim day stopping by the food and refreshment table didn’t just get a good meal, but also campaign tote bags to persuade and remind them to vote for Ortiz for school board this November. The swim day organized by Mayor de la Riva and the City of Maywood was clearly promoting Graciela Ortiz for the upcoming LAUSD School Board election.
City-organized and sponsored events like a swim day for special needs families are not opportunities for one-sided candidate promotion and campaigning. What Graciela Ortiz was permitted to do at the “Team Maywood” swim day by displaying and distributing her campaign tote bags is unethical one-sided campaigning. This is a campaign ethics violation that gives an unfair advantage to the Graciela Ortiz school board campaign with the support of city representatives, time, and resources. The City of Maywood, Mayor de la Riva, and Maywood city employees should not have permitted Graciela Ortiz to campaign at their community swim day.
Making this campaign ethics violation even more brazen, was Mayor de la Riva, who has endorsed Graciela Ortiz in the school board race, posting on his Instagram account (@dlr4maywood), which is currently private but is used to broadcast himself as the Mayor of Maywood, to thank Graciela Ortiz for supporting the “Team Maywood” swim day, along with a photo of Ortiz flanked by himself and Maywood Councilmember Frank Garcia holding up her campaign tote bags. Councilmember Garcia has also endorsed Graciela for school board.
Eddie de la Riva is not simply supporting Graciela Ortiz as a community leader, which is fine and ethical. He has crossed the line into condoning and participating in a campaign ethics violation that signals to voters the City of Maywood supports and promotes Ortiz’s campaign for school board.
The Graciela Ortiz campaign for LAUSD School Board and her political allies working through the City of Maywood are engaging in unethical campaign activity and have used their positions of power to give a one-sided unfair advantage to persuade voters to vote for Graciela Ortiz in the upcoming school board election. This campaign ethics violation must be thoroughly investigated by the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, and Graciela Ortiz, her campaign, and her political allies working through the City of Maywood should be held accountable.
Voters across Los Angeles should know campaign ethics violations like this happen all the time. Elected officials and political campaigns think they can get away with it because you aren't paying attention, but working people are paying attention to this school board race because we value fair elections and our democratic rights.
(Brianna Vargas, a university student studying political science and public education advocate from Bell, CA.)
(Marc Anthony Lopez, an organizer and advocate for public education from East Los Angeles, CA.)
