Gov's cabinet member resigns due to conflict of interest

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Mar 06, 2009 - 02:45 PM

Gov's cabinet member resigns due to conflict of interest

by Mark Reback

To follow up on my post from earlier this week, one of the Gov's cabinet members resigned due to inquiries about income she received from companies who lobby her agency.

Rosario Marin, head of the State & Consumer Services Agency, received payment for speeches she made to private companies, including some that lobby the Consumer Services Agency. Her resignation came after the LA Times inquired about her outside income, which included thousands of dollars in fees for speeches to pharmaceutical companies within months of her agency's push last year to reduce oversight of prescription drugs.

State law bars officials from accepting speaking fees except in certain situations, such as when the income is related to the speaker's "bona fide" business, trade or profession.

I'm sure that Marin thought it was related to her business interest, but she surely was not serving the best interests of the people of California.

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