Challenger in L.A. city controller race targets — corgis?

Kenneth Mejia's images of his beloved dogs violate campaign law, a former state lawmaker complains

- DAVID ZAHNISER

CARLIN STIEHL Los Angeles Times MEJIA'S team disputes the complaint, which concedes the dogs are "adorable."

Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia loves to show off his two corgis, displaying them on his social media accounts, his financial reports and his reelection campaign materials.

Cardboard cutouts of corgis even adorn the entrance to Mejia's office at City Hall East, making it resemble the dorm room of an especially proud dog parent.

Now, Mejia's corgis are the subject of a complaint submitted to the city's Ethics Commission, alleging that the controller has impermissibly blurred the lines between his government communications and his campaign operation.

Former State Sen. Isadore Hall, looking to unseat Mejia in June, conceded in his complaint that the corgi images - especially the one meant to look like Sherlock Holmes, with a pipe and magnifying glass - are "adorable."

Nevertheless, Hall suggested that the graphics run afoul of a city law barring candidates from using city resources, since the cap-wearing corgi appears both on Mejia's official city website and on his campaign yard signs.

"These practices, if substantiated, undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the City Controller's office and violate clear prohibitions on using public assets for campaign advantage," Hall said in his complaint.

DAVID ZAHNISER Los Angeles Times CITY Controller Kenneth Mejia's office is adorned with corgi images, which also appear on campaign signs.