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17 of 19 <br /> <br />Los Angeles Governmental Ethics Ordinance 1/23/20 <br />a. Knowingly or willfully violates a <br />provision of this Article; <br /> <br />b. Knowingly or willfully causes <br />another person to violate a <br />provision of this Article; or <br /> <br />c. Aids and abets another person in <br />violating a provision of this <br />Article. <br /> <br />2. Prosecution shall be commenced <br />within four years after the date of the <br />violation. <br /> <br />3. A person convicted of a <br />misdemeanor under this Article shall <br />not act as a City lobbyist or <br />contractor for four years following the <br />date of the conviction, unless the <br />court at the time of sentencing <br />specifically determines that this <br />provision shall not be applied. <br /> <br />4. For the purposes of this Section, a <br />plea of nolo contendere shall be <br />deemed a conviction. <br /> <br />B. Civil Actions. <br /> <br />1. A person who intentionally or <br />negligently violates a provision of <br />this Article shall be liable in a civil <br />action brought by the City Attorney, <br />the Ethics Commission, or a person <br />residing within the City for an amount <br />not more than the greater of $5,000 <br />per violation or three times the <br />amount the person failed to report, <br />properly or unlawfully contributed, <br />expended, gave, or received. <br /> <br />2. If two or more persons are <br />responsible for any violation, they <br />shall be jointly and severally liable. <br /> <br />3. A person other than the City <br />Attorney, before filing a civil action <br />pursuant to this Subsection, shall <br />first file with the Ethics Commission <br />a written request for the Ethics <br />Commission to commence the <br />action. The request shall contain a <br />statement of the grounds for <br />believing a cause of action exists. <br />The Ethics Commission shall <br />respond within 40 days after receipt <br />of the request, indicating whether it <br />intends to file a civil action. If the <br />Ethics Commission indicates in the <br />affirmative and files an action within <br />40 days thereafter, no other action <br />may be brought unless the action <br />brought by the Ethics Commission is <br />dismissed without prejudice. <br /> <br />4. In determining the amount of liability, <br />the court may take into account the <br />seriousness of the violation and the <br />degree of culpability of the <br />defendant. If a judgment is entered <br />against the defendant or defendants <br />in an action, a private plaintiff shall <br />receive 50 percent of the amount <br />recovered. The remaining 50 <br />percent shall be deposited into the <br />City's General Fund. In an action <br />brought by the City Attorney or the <br />Ethics Commission, the entire <br />amount shall be paid to the General <br />Fund. <br /> <br />5. An action alleging a violation of this <br />article may not be filed more than <br />four years after the date the violation <br />occurred. <br /> <br />6. The court may award to a party other <br />than an agency who prevails in a <br />civil action that party’s costs of <br />litigation, including reasonable <br />attorney fees. If the costs are <br />awarded against the City, the <br />payment of the award is the