‘I am happy to put this experience in the past,’ said Victoria Martinez Muela after state political watchdog agency closed its investigation
By: Jason Henry
An El Monte councilmember did not violate state law by allowing a friend to pay $1,100 toward her breast augmentation surgery in 2016 even though the friend’s employer had business before the City Council, according to a letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission.
The agency’s enforcement division has now closed its yearlong investigation into the allegations against Councilmember Victoria Martinez Muela after determining that the payment for the medical procedure did not constitute a “gift” under state law, would not have been subject to state limits and did not qualify as reportable income, stated Alex Rose, the counsel for the FPPC’s enforcement division.
“Therefore, the allegations have been disproven, and we are closing this matter with no further action,” Rose wrote in the closure letter.
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