After examining the publicly available evidence regarding the May 2 confrontation between Mo Honarkar’s armed trespassers at Hotel Laguna and 14 West hotel and the hotels’ lawful owner/operator MOM/Investco, it seems pretty clear that, notwithstanding Honarkar’s contrary claims, the City Manager and City Attorney allowed Honarkar’s subordinates to terrorize hotel guests and staff despite repeated pleas from MOM/Investco to have them removed. Not surprisingly, a court has now barred Honarkar from even getting near either hotel. MOM/Investco should be hopping mad at its needless loss of safety, income and reputation caused by the City’s refusal to remove the intruders. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if MOM/Investco slaps both the City and the City Manager personally with a lawsuit.
If that happens, the City Manager and City Attorney obviously must recuse themselves from representing the City in any part of this matter. In fact, they should do that now, given their personal conflicts of interest posed by the ongoing public controversy over the propriety of their actions on May 2. Otherwise, it will look to many like they may well be using their official positions to negotiate a way out of their personal legal exposure.
Anything to do with this incident, MOM/Investco or Honarkar should be handled by the City Council and an outside law firm to dispel any whiff of impropriety. Since the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem also appear to have been involved in this miscarriage of justice, both of them should recuse themselves as well.
It would appear that the City could be facing the risk of serious damages due to the actions of the City Manager and City Attorney. They must not play any part in the City’s dealings with Mom/Investco or Honarkar to minimize their ability to cover up any personal misconduct or even the appearance that they may place their own interests above those of the City and its residents.
Michèle Monda, Laguna Beach
