Carlos Thrasher skips out on $17,000+ of unpaid rent for an office he rents from his landlord, Ziad Alhassen. After Thrasher repeatedly tries to get Alhassen to forgive this amount, and after Alhassen threatens to sue, Thrasher finally agrees to pay the unpaid rent -- and signs a promissory note for it.
Shortly thereafter, Thrasher gets appointed to the West Covina Planning Commission, and certifies under penalty of perjury that he doesn't have any loans due to anyone. Within a year, a company owned by Alhassen comes before the Planning Commission with a request that's critical to a development project it's doing, and Thrasher repeatedly and successfully spearheads the opposition to this request. Can you say: Payback?
Perjury? Or at least a conflict of interest?
Not according to the Court of Appeal.
P.S. - I'd definitely hire Thrasher, who's no longer on the Planning Commission, as my financial advisor. Easy access at Fouth and Figueroa. 'Cause it's all about trust and integrity.
