The Chula Vista board of ethics commission voted 5 to 1 Wednesday to dismiss a complaint filed against a city councilwoman.
Pamela Bensoussan was the subject of an ethics complaint filed by civic organization Crossroads II vice president Peter Watry Oct. 8, which claimed she used her position as a public official for personal gain when she voted on a development project Sept. 25.
Watry said Bensoussan should have recused herself from voting since she accepted nearly $1,900 in campaign contributions from several individuals associated with the Lake Pointe construction project.
After reviewing the complaint and corresponding information, Deputy City Attorney Simon Silva stated his legal analysis saying that the full allegation of facts did not meet the requirements for a prima facie showing according to the city’s municipal code, within chapter 2.28.
“…This isn’t a case of personal gain,” Silva said.
Bensoussan is running for her second term as a councilwoman this year and said Watry’s complaint is politically motivated.
“I make my decisions based on the information I receive from staff … in this particular case, during the hearing I requested the developer improve the project in ways the neighborhood recommended by increasing the commercial footprint and still allowing economical liability for the project,” she said.
Ethics board member Todd Glanz, a member of Crossroads II, was the sole vote in opposition.
