D.A.’s Office Seeks to Remove Carson Mayor from Water Board Seat

Washington, D.C. – January 29, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has filed a civil lawsuit to remove Carson Mayor Albert Robles from serving as a director on a regional water board. The lawsuit alleges that holding both offices simultaneously is a conflict of interest and violates state law.

The civil complaint in case BC608075 was filed Monday. Robles was served today. He has 30 days to respond to the civil action before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Terry Green in Department 14 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Deputy District Attorney Marian Thompson with the Public Integrity Division is handling the case.

According to the civil complaint, the positions of Carson mayor and councilman and director of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) are “incompatible under Government Code section 1099 because the WRD and the City of Carson have overlapping territory, duties and responsibilities, and a clash of duties is likely to arise in the exercise of both offices simultaneously.”

Robles, 46, has served continuously on the WRD’s board since 1992. He was re-elected to that post in November 2012, and sworn into office for another four-year term in January 2013.

In March 2013, Robles was elected for the first time to the Carson City Council. Two years later, he was appointed by the council to serve as mayor after the elected mayor resigned to become city clerk.

The state Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion in December allowing the LADA’s office to sue in civil court to have Robles removed from his elected WRD office.

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About the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of crime and enhancing public safety. Last year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted more than 71,000 felony defendants and nearly 112,000 misdemeanor defendants.

Contact:
Jane Robison, Assistant Media Chief
(213) 257-2000
JRobison (at) da.lacounty (dot) gov