Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Planning Chairman Can Weigh in on Casino Plans of Tribe That Employs His Lobbyist Client, Agency Says

It isn't a conflict of interest for the chairman of the county's Jamul and Dulzura planning group to participate in discussions about a casino project being promoted by a lobbying firm that employs him on a project-by-project contractual basis.

So say lawyers with the state's Fair Political Practices Commission in a May 15 letter to Michael Casinelli, responding to his request for legal guidance in the matter.

Reached by phone this morning, Casinelli identified the firm referred to in the letter as MJE Marketing Services, whose senior advisor David Nielsen, is handling the Jamul Indian Village casino account.

Cassinelli says he does marketing and economic consulting for MJE, but is not involved in any way with the casino project itself.

MJE is one of the most prominent lobbying firms in the county.

As we reported last month, the company's Kristen Byrne and Lauren Bogart have for months been lobbying city of San Diego officials on behalf of the controversial Balboa Park modification project backed by billionaire Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs.

According to the FPPC's letter, Casinelli's conflict of interest question arose when the Jamul Indians "hired a public relations firm that has been a repeat client of yours in the past, and it is anticipated that the firm will want you to work on a new project [in the future.]."

"You are the chair of the Planning Group for the geographic areas of Jamul and Dulzura," FPPC general counsel Zackery P. Morazzini and legal division counsel Valentina Joyce say in their letter to Casinelli.

Notes the pair: "The Planning Group is concerned about a proposal by the Jamul Indian Village to build a gaming casino in Jamul.

"The proposal is very contentious between the Indian Village and local citizens, as well as the local fire department, local schools, Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Game and the County Sheriff‟s Department."

Casinelli owns a firm that "conducts research for dozens of clients, including public relations firms, on a contracted project-by-project basis," the letter adds.

"You ask whether your position as a member of the Planning Group creates a conflict-of-interest in connection with your work for [MJE]."

The answer, the FPPC lawyers say, is no.

Morazzini and Joyce come to their conclusion by arguing that the Casinelli-chaired planning committee's role in the county's decision-making process is only advisory.

"The Planning Group does not make final governmental decisions and cannot compel or prevent a governmental decision," the letter says.

"In addition, because the committee does not make recommendations directly to the decisionmaker, the board of supervisors, there is no history of verbatim approval of the Planning Group‟s recommendations without significant amendment or modification by another public official or governmental agency."

"Consequently, members of the Planning Group are not members of a decisionmaking board or commission, and, therefore are not 'public officials' within the meaning of Section 87100, and are not subject to the Act's conflict-of-interest provisions."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

A cool year in a warming pacific

Pelagic species have comfort zones
Next Article

More on San Diego inventions – Spike Bite and disappearing ink

The scandal of county supervisors at the library

It isn't a conflict of interest for the chairman of the county's Jamul and Dulzura planning group to participate in discussions about a casino project being promoted by a lobbying firm that employs him on a project-by-project contractual basis.

So say lawyers with the state's Fair Political Practices Commission in a May 15 letter to Michael Casinelli, responding to his request for legal guidance in the matter.

Reached by phone this morning, Casinelli identified the firm referred to in the letter as MJE Marketing Services, whose senior advisor David Nielsen, is handling the Jamul Indian Village casino account.

Cassinelli says he does marketing and economic consulting for MJE, but is not involved in any way with the casino project itself.

MJE is one of the most prominent lobbying firms in the county.

As we reported last month, the company's Kristen Byrne and Lauren Bogart have for months been lobbying city of San Diego officials on behalf of the controversial Balboa Park modification project backed by billionaire Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs.

According to the FPPC's letter, Casinelli's conflict of interest question arose when the Jamul Indians "hired a public relations firm that has been a repeat client of yours in the past, and it is anticipated that the firm will want you to work on a new project [in the future.]."

"You are the chair of the Planning Group for the geographic areas of Jamul and Dulzura," FPPC general counsel Zackery P. Morazzini and legal division counsel Valentina Joyce say in their letter to Casinelli.

Notes the pair: "The Planning Group is concerned about a proposal by the Jamul Indian Village to build a gaming casino in Jamul.

"The proposal is very contentious between the Indian Village and local citizens, as well as the local fire department, local schools, Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Game and the County Sheriff‟s Department."

Casinelli owns a firm that "conducts research for dozens of clients, including public relations firms, on a contracted project-by-project basis," the letter adds.

"You ask whether your position as a member of the Planning Group creates a conflict-of-interest in connection with your work for [MJE]."

The answer, the FPPC lawyers say, is no.

Morazzini and Joyce come to their conclusion by arguing that the Casinelli-chaired planning committee's role in the county's decision-making process is only advisory.

"The Planning Group does not make final governmental decisions and cannot compel or prevent a governmental decision," the letter says.

"In addition, because the committee does not make recommendations directly to the decisionmaker, the board of supervisors, there is no history of verbatim approval of the Planning Group‟s recommendations without significant amendment or modification by another public official or governmental agency."

"Consequently, members of the Planning Group are not members of a decisionmaking board or commission, and, therefore are not 'public officials' within the meaning of Section 87100, and are not subject to the Act's conflict-of-interest provisions."

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jacobs says he is bowing out of Balboa Park makeover

Next Article

Jamul Indians Cut Developer Ties, Revive Casino Plans

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader