In the Councilwoman’s case, the person she knows and knows well is Gwen Butterfield, president and CEO of Butterfield Communication, a public relations firm. They have been friends When Hahn was sworn into office on July 1, 2001, at the same time her brother Jim was sworn in as Mayor, it was Butterfield who the LA Times found worthy as voice of the community to put the event into perspective.<\/p>\n “I think it is truly history in the making,” said Gwen Butterfield, c<\/a>lose friend and campaign +volunteer for Janice Hahn. “She’s so excited . . . to have her brother swearing her in.”<\/p>\n Butterfield’s own life took a decided turn upwards with the arrival of Janice became chair of the powerful committee that oversees the Harbor Department. <\/p>\n She’s doing a lot of business and has been a registered City Hall lobbyist for the last six years, with five clients showing up on her disclosure statement.<\/p>\n It should come as no surprise that are all about the Harbor: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, Pacific L.A. Marine Terminal, LLC, Wallenius Wilhelmsenn Logistics and most of all, Gambol Industries which port insiders say has made her a very well-to-do woman, turning a modest living as a community organizer and part-time advocate into a PR\/lobbying business with a half-million-dollars in billings.<\/p>\n The friendship also has been good for the Hahn’s fund-raising efforts.<\/p>\n I “Additionally, the Los Angeles-based law firm of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro is representing Gambol Industries in the ongoing negotiations with the port and contributed $5,000 to Hahn’s campaign for lieutenant governor last September.”<\/p>\n “That’s $!2,000 worth of conflict,” the Daily Breeze editorialized<\/a> after Hahn reluctantly backed out of serving a mediator for the Gambol proposal which Harbor officials opposed because it would seriously delay a critical dredging proposal. Butterfield herself has contributed nearly $13,000 over the years to Hahn and more than half a dozen other Butterfield clients have been equally generous in backing Hahn’s political ambitions generously, according to city ethics records.<\/p>\n Like so much of what goes on the threads of relationships and the role of money casts a shadow over so much of what goes on. They call it “access” — the access routinely denied the public or limited to two minutes of public comment — but really it’s corruption whether it’s just in appearance, whether it’s criminal or not.<\/p>\n In this case, the threads reach the LA Conservancy, which too benefited from Gambol’s money, and sent to bat for the company in its fight with the Harbor Department. <\/p>\n Back in January 2009, the Conservancy’s Michael Buhler urged the Harbor Commission in an email letter <\/a>to “The Harbor officials rejected the arguments <\/a>for Three months later on April 14, 2009, Hahn, in her official capacity,<\/a> wrote the commission in response to the Environmental Impact Report urging delay and further study.<\/p>\n “This![\"butterfield.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/ronkayela.com\/butterfield.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span> a long time, good enough friends that acquaintances say Janice was maid-of-honor at Gwen’s wedding. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/span>n breaking the story on Hahn’s conflict-of-interest, Art Marroquin of the Daily Breeze <\/a>reported
Gambol’s president, Robert Stein, contributed $6,500 to Hahn’s lieutenant governor campaign account last October and $500 to her City Council officeholder’s account last August.<\/p>\n
<\/a>
“The perception — one of bias — would be everything. Always there, it would cast a pall not only over the deal at the port but also over the support and opposition she has in the Harbor Area communities where she is best known. And that would cast shadows over her own future ambitions, which are, right now, pretty big. “<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\ndelay the $96 million dredging project to reconsider its rejection of
\nthe berths Gambol wants as part of this historical preservation zone.<\/p>\n
\nSouthwest Marine Shipyard , including the slipways proposed to be
\nfilled with contaminated dredge spoils, is the last remaining link to
\nTerminal Island’s significant role in the World War II emergency
\nshipbuilding program,” he said.<\/p>\n
\ndelay showing that a study was already conducted to protect the parts
\nof the shipyard that were worthy of protection on the National Register
\nof Historic places.<\/p>\n
\nproject certainly deserves some further consideration and review by the
\nPart, and for that reason request that the Board delay its action on
\nthe Channel Deepening EJR, and request staff to look at alternatives
\nthat may Include a partial fill of those slips, In addition, I hope
\nthat the Board will take another look at using this location for
\neconomic opportunities including this proposal by Gambol Industries,”
\nshe wrote.<\/p>\n