Local Journalism Happens With YouSupport
News

David Ryu Remembers to File with the Ethics Committee after Taking Heat

The just-added communications still don’t explain what could be illegal campaign propaganda.

Los Angeles Fire Department (Flickr)

On September 15, 2020 — six days after KNOCK.LA called Councilmember David Ryu out for his Officeholder Account transgressions — Ryu remembered to file a few things with the Ethics Committee.

One of the items is the 26-page collage of Ryu, AKA the 2018–2019 Annual Report. This, and the other three submitted documents, can be found on the Public Data Portal. Search for “Officeholder Communications,” then select “City Council Members — District 4.” From there you will be able to choose David Ryu (2015–2020). Click search and then you can sort his Officeholder Communications by date submitted.

 

Screenshot of four communications filed to the Ethics Committee roughly a year late.

These are the four submitted documents:

David Ryu “Other — Print (OTHER-7)” for the Annual Report 2018–2019.

 

Screenshot of Ryu’s Annual Report 2018–2019.

We already know this violates several Campaign Finance Codes.

Print Ad 32 and Print Ad 33 for two ads in Jewish Journal.

 

Print Ad 32 and 33 are the same ad run on two separate occasions in September 2019.

Jewish Journal ran two ads from Councilmember Ryu on September 19, 2019 (Print Ad 33) and September 27, 2019 (Print Ad 32) wishing readers a happy Rosh Hashanah.

You know the rules by now. This is an ad that went out to over 200 readers; 10 seconds worth of Googling shows that the Jewish Journal has about 150,000 weekly readers. This ad also featured both a photo of Ryu and his name after he had declared his intent to run again.

Print Ad 34

 

A print ad, most likely aimed at members of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Trades Council

It is unclear where this 2019 Labor Day ad was placed. The file is named “RYU2020OH_Building_090219A.” The flyer features a photo of Ryu along with the copy, “Proud to Stand with Labor & all working Angelenos.” Logic dictates that this is the $990 spent on the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council PAC. The inclusion of Ryu’s photo and name are not permitted in a flyer like this, which absolutely went out to more than 200 people, as the Trades Council represents 100,000 skilled laborers in 48 local unions.

None of the four newly submitted explain the $1,140 payment to Park LaBrea News/Beverly Press. The four documents Ryu submitted on September 15, 2020, are all from the third quarter, but he listed his expenditure for Park LaBrea News/Beverly Press in the fourth quarter.

Where are the rest, Ryu?