#  Krekorian Attacks LA Times Editorial with Fake Letter

     Details    Dakota Smith   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         November 12 2012       [ARCHIVE](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **Jan Perry Talkin’ Tough on Pension Reform, Accuses Council of Go-Along-to-Get-Along Politics** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4046:jan-perry-talkin-tough-on-pension-reform-accuses-council-of-go-along-to-get-along-politics&catid=16)
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> ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Nov-2012/cw1091k.png)DIRTY TRICKS - Turns out, Tracy from Studio City isn't so concerned about digital billboards.
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> City Councilman Paul Krekorian's communications director acknowledged Friday he fabricated a letter for the councilman's monthly Patch column.
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> The letter from Studio City resident "Tracy" allowed Krekorian to defend his position on digital billboards and attack a recent Los Angeles Times editorial criticizing the councilman.
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> The unorthodox public relations approach marks another eyebrow-raising incident at City Hall over digital billboards, and comes weeks after city leaders admitted a lobbyist for the sign companies wrote a recent motion that could benefit the billboard companies.
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> In this week's "Ask Paul," a worried-sounding rea der named Tracy asks Krekorian to explain an unflattering Los Angeles Times editorial, which accuses Krekorian, who co-sponsored the sign motion, of doing the bidding of the billboard companies.
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> "I've always known you to be a good, honorable person and wanted to ask you if that's true," Tracy wrote to the "Ask Paul" column, which appears on the North Hollywood and Studio City Patch sites.
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> "Did you do their bidding and is the Times' allegation that the council members only `respond to power and money' true?"
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> "Tracy, thank you for your question," Krekorian replied in his column. "I did see that editorial from the Times and appreciate you allowing me to respond." In a lengthy reply, Krekorian goes on to refute claims made by the paper's editorial board.
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> On Friday, Krekorian spokesman Jeremy Oberstein defended the letter, saying he frequently crafts letters for the column based on "aggregations" of letters, email and comments received by the councilman's staff.
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> An hour later, he clarified that statement, saying the office in fact received no emails after the Los Angeles Times editorial ran.
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> Late Friday, he said the Tracy letter was an "aggregate of folks who called our office on a few occasions and of the general tenor from some people in the community."
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> He added that the Ask Paul column is posted online by himself, and answered by Krekorian.
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> He didn't respond to a question about whether Krekorian, who served on the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, knew the Tracy letter was an aggregate. ([Read the rest of Dakota Smith’s report](http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_21968094/councilman-paul-krekorians-office-created-fake-letter-over))
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> -cw
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> CityWatch
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> Vol 10 Issue 91
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> Pub: Nov 13, 2012

  - [  Previous Article **Jan Perry Talkin’ Tough on Pension Reform, Accuses Council of Go-Along-to-Get-Along Politics** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4046:jan-perry-talkin-tough-on-pension-reform-accuses-council-of-go-along-to-get-along-politics&catid=16)
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