Anaheim has hired its first ethics officer, a new position that’s tasked to ensure City Hall leaders and workers understand and don’t run afoul of conflict of interest and campaign laws.
Artin Berjikly will be the assistant city attorney-ethics officer, leading a new ethics division. Berjikly’s role will be to “promote public confidence in the integrity of local government and its operation,” advance new ethics policies and conduct investigations of alleged violations of ethics laws.
Berjikly will report to the city attorney and provide legal expertise on ethical issues, campaign finance laws, conflict of interest rules, and the city’s lobbying laws.
City-hired investigators last year recommended Anaheim create the position to help monitor lobbyists and political contributions. The City Council in October gave its unanimous approval.
Berjikly’s first day was Aug. 19, according to a news update from the city.
Berjikly earned a political science degree from UCLA and got his law degree at Loyola Marymount University, according to the city.
Berjikly has spent his career in the world of political ethics. Berjikly had been the senior commission counsel for the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission since 2022. He was at the Los Angeles Ethics Commission for 16 years prior to that, serving as legal counsel and senior investigator.
Other reforms city leaders took on in the last year, which came in the wake of the FBI investigations in the city that were revealed in 2022, included tightening records policies, mandatory postings of who city councilmembers meet with, and updating campaign finance and lobbying laws.
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