El Monte Councilwoman Victoria Martinez Muela (pictured) is under fire after she allegedly neglected to report a $1,100 gift from a friend, who was also a lobbyist, that was used to help fund her breast augmentation surgery
A Los Angeles county councilwoman is under fire after she allegedly failed to report a $1,100 gift from a lobbyist that was put towards her breast augmentation surgery.
El Monte Councilwoman Victoria Martinez Muela, 48, received the gift from her longtime friend Sigrid Lopez, 52, in December 2016, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.
Lopez, who at the time was working as lobbyist for a company conducting business with the city, says the money was a gifted out of friendship and was not intended to influence Martinez Muela's vote on matters involving her employer.
Now, El Monte City Council is working to create an ethics commission that will sanction city officials who violate rules regarding gifts and other conflicts of interest.
According to the newspaper, Lopez paid the sum to Pasadena cosmetic surgeon Dr. Daniel Casper on December 29, 2016 to help cover the cost of the councilwoman's procedure. Martinez Muela did not report the gift to officials.
Martinez Muela claims the surgery was needed for a medical condition and that she couldn't afford to pay the full cost of the procedure, thus why Lopez agreed to cover the gap. The full cost of the surgery remains unknown.
Lopez is also credited with driving Martinez Muela to and from the procedure, as well as staying with her during the post-op recovery process.
At the time the gift was issued, Lopez's former employer, Southland Transit, had given the city a $700,000 proposal to expands its public transportation contract.
In May 2021, former El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero submitted an ethics complaint to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office over the gift. Additionally, last week, he submitted a complaint to the state's Fair Political Practices Commission.
The district attorney’s office has confirmed officials are reviewing the complaint.
Sigrid Lopez paid the sum directly to cosmetic surgeon Dr. Daniel Casper (pictured) on December 29, 2016 to help cover the cost of the councilwoman's procedure
