Newly hired Anaheim ethics officer outlines his duties in first public comments

In the wake of an ongoing FBI political corruption probe that halted the sale of Angel Stadium and led to a former mayor’s conviction, Anaheim publicly introduced its new chief ethics officer for the first time.

Artin Berjikly, former senior commission counsel for the Fair Political Practices Commission, spoke briefly before the Sept. 24 Anaheim City Council meeting after his hiring was announced last month.

“I look forward to building on the good governance reforms that this council has put in place, as well as any additional reforms that we may consider,” he said. “My role will be to provide legal counsel and guidance on best ethical practices and to advise on any potential conflicts of interest.”

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Berjikly’s introduction by City Manager Jim Vanderpool did not appear on the agenda for the meeting. Because of that, council members could not ask him any questions in accordance with the state’s open meeting laws.

But the chief ethics officer, who also carries the title of assistant city attorney, stated that he had privately met with Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and the rest of the council individually.

“It is common for the city manager to provide organizational updates during his remarks, which are part of the agenda, and that can include the introduction of new staff,” said Mike Lyster, an Anaheim spokesman. “This was a chance to introduce the ethics officer to the community, with the council members having already met with him one and one with the ability to ask questions and share thoughts.”

TimesOC requested an interview with Berjikly after his hire and start date last month, but city officials stated he was unavailable for comment as he settled into the job.

Before working for the FPPC, Berjikly served as legal counsel and a senior investigator for the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

Settling into his new role, he lauded Anaheim’s reform efforts as some of the “most advanced” in the state, during his comments before council.

Since the FBI probe publicly surfaced in May 2022, council members have passed several reform measures in an effort to improve transparency and restore public trust.

Council members and city executives are now required to use city-issued phones to dissuade from the practice of using private devices to discuss city business. Council members also publicly post their meeting calendars online.

In one of the more significant changes, Anaheim broadened the definition of lobbyists and their activities under an existing law. Disney employees have since registered as lobbyists.

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A city-commissioned corruption report by the JL Group released last year urged city officials to hire an ethics officer to oversee political contributions, independent expenditures, political action committees, public record requests and event tickets handed by council members while providing enforcement of lobbying laws.

In January, council members approved the hiring of the recommended position.

Berjikly, who is earning $228,000 annually, noted at Tuesday’s council meeting that Anaheim’s lobbyist registry and reports fall within the scope of his authorities.

At the end of the council meeting, Mayor Aitken asked the city attorney’s office for direction on how she and her colleagues are to engage with the ethics officer.

“Hopefully, issues will not arise,” Aitken said, “but in the case that they do ... we [want to] have a proper protocol for how we should be interacting with our ethics officer going forward.”

The mayor also asked Vanderpool for a review of the city’s conflicts of interests policies.

Because of the stated progress of Anaheim’s reforms, Berjikly claimed that his most pressing priorities at the onset of the job will be “continued oversight, guidance and review” of the city’s ethics procedures.

“If the city were in a different place, as it was several years ago, my role could be different,” he said. “Should that policing role again be necessary, I stand fully ready to address it.”