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The boiling bi-coastal scandal involving Wetherly Capital Group, a New York pol and some Villaraigosa commissioners is likely the reason that Monday night's Beverly Hills fundraiser for congressional candidate Judy Chu had a last-minute change of top billing. On the original invitation, the event was hosted by real estate mogul Richard Ziman and his wife Daphna at their home. As revised, the event was still at their splendid north-of-Sunset spread. But Dick Ziman's name was cleansed from the invitation — that's the new one pictured. He has been described in press accounts as an unpaid Wetherly adviser, and it was at the Ziman residence that a Jack Weiss fundraiser last month — co-hosted by Wetherly boss Dan Weinstein — led to the resignation of Kelly Candaele from the City Employees' Retirement System Board. (Sean Harrigan and Elliott Broidy resigned last week from Villaraigosa's Fire and Police Pensions board after receiving inquiries from the SEC.) Chu, I'm guessing, didn't want to get dragged into the political fallout from the Wetherly case. So she walked a fine line: it's still Ziman's home, he was reportedly present (as was ex-Gov. Gray Davis), but he was no longer a listed host.
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Related: Stories in today's Times and Bee elaborate on the misdemeanor guilty plea reported yesterday by ex-Wetherly exec Julio Ramirez, a former lobbyist whose local political work includes campaign manager for Richard Riordan's mayoral reelection in 1997 and involvement in the mayoral campaigns of Mike Woo and James Hahn. Ramirez's plea was made two months ago, but only just revealed along with civil SEC charges.