City ethics panel fines L.A. port terminal operator, execs

City ethics panel fines L.A. port terminal operator, execs The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission has levied $20,000 in fines against Southern California marine terminal operator Trans Pacific Container Service Corp. and two of its vice presidents for three cases involving political money laundering during the 2003 and 2005 city elections.
   The three separate fines, approved by the commission on Tuesday, assessed a $15,500 fine against Port of Los Angeles operator Trans Pacific, known as TraPac. Two of its senior-level employees, Frank Pisano and Scott Axelson, were fined $2,750 and $1,750, respectively.
   The cases stem from contributions to three municipal political campaigns made in the name of Pisano and Axelson during the 2003 and 2005 city elections. Under terms of the commission settlement, TraPac admitted that it reimbursed the two executives for the donations, a violation of the city charter. At the time, TraPac was in the process of renegotiating its lease with the city.
   The Los Angeles City Charter prohibits contributions from being made in a name 'other than the name by which they are identified for legal purposes,' and prohibits persons from making contributions 'of anything belonging to another person.' Commonly known as political money laundering, the commission said in a release that assumed name contributions are considered serious violations of the law because they can circumvent the city's campaign contribution limits. The limits, according to the commission, are intended to prevent any person from exercising undue influence over candidates or elections.