Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against L.A. Ethics Panel

A Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed two years ago against the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and its executive director, Benjamin Bycel.

The suit, brought by then-city attorney’s office employee Anthony Roland, alleged that the commission had wrongly launched a high-profile investigation into his conduct. Roland had an outside political consulting business, and he said the Ethics Commission’s investigation into allegations that he had used city time and equipment on that business had cost him clients.

The commission found that city attorney’s office employees had improperly used city offices and other equipment for partisan political work, although no charges were filed.

Bycel quoted Judge Ernest M. Hiroshige, in granting an order for summary judgment, as saying “there is no triable issue of any material fact.” The judge also ordered Roland to pay the city’s costs in the lawsuit, Bycel said.

“This was a case totally without merit from beginning to end,” Bycel said. “It was an attempt to harass the city Ethics Commission and it failed miserably.”

Roland could not be reached for comment.