L.A. DWP worker made assistants run private errands, ethics enforcer says

A high-ranking worker on the Division of Water and Energy made staffers run private errands for her, together with buying tickets to a Snoop Dogg live performance, in accordance with the Los Angeles Metropolis Ethics Fee’s director of enforcement.

Renette Anderson, who has labored as an govt assistant to the DWP’s normal supervisor since 2002, requested subordinates to e book a airplane ticket for her private journey, make bodily remedy appointments for her, buy social gathering provides for a non-work social gathering at her house and make a service appointment at a Mercedes Benz dealership for her private car, wrote the enforcement director, Kenneth Hardy, in an accusation doc dated Nov. 4.

Anderson’s requests to 2 DWP workers, Brian Johnson and Angenee Reygadas, had been made throughout work hours in 2022 and 2023, and the workers used metropolis sources to meet the requests, Hardy wrote.

On June 22, 2023, after the Snoop Dogg & Buddies live performance on the Hollywood Bowl was canceled, Anderson requested Johnson to request a refund, Hardy wrote.

Hardy accused Anderson of seven counts of misusing her metropolis place to create a private profit for herself. If the events don’t come to an settlement, the Ethics Fee will maintain a listening to and resolve what penalties to impose. Every depend comes with a possible $5,000 high quality.

“These are unsubstantiated claims made by a former disgruntled subordinate to Ms. Anderson,” mentioned Anderson’s lawyer, John Harris, who mentioned he was referring to Johnson. “We vigorously object to the allegations made by this subordinate.”

Harris mentioned the accusations got here as a “full shock” to Anderson, who stays on the job.

Paola Adler, a spokesperson for the DWP, mentioned the division can not touch upon personnel issues however that it takes accusations of unethical conduct critically.

Anderson serves as director of Equal Employment Alternative Companies and reviews on to Chief Individuals Officer Tracey Pierce. Anderson was appointed to her function by a earlier normal supervisor, not by Janisse Quiñones, who has been within the function since Could 2024, the DWP mentioned.

“She has been the first voice on all issues associated to Equal Employment Alternative, workforce variety, and the truthful and equitable therapy of over 10,000 workers,” in accordance with Anderson’s bio on the web site of the Stovall Basis, the place she is a board member.