LOS ANGELES—Cody Cluff, president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC), has decided to stay on the job, defying the EIDC executive committee, which during a closed-door meeting last Friday (11/22) voted by an 8-2 margin to put him on a paid leave of absence. The EIDC is the agency that oversees the joint Los Angeles City/County Film Office.
Two key members of the executive committee, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, expressed shock and anger over Cluff’s refusal to comply and said they are determined to remove him from his post. Yaroslavsky reportedly said that he would even consider asking both the city and county to terminate their contracts with the EIDC if Cluff shows up for work. Yaroslavsky stated that he’s prepared to recommend that the Board of Supervisors withdraw from the EIDC and re-launch it in a different form with new leadership and bylaws.
Cluff was unavailable for comment at press time. He took a week’s vacation starting this past Monday (11/25), the day he was supposed to begin the executive committee-mandated leave of absence. Speculation is that representatives of Cluff and the EIDC exec board will meet this week to negotiate a compromise. In some circles, talk is that Cluff would agree to the leave in exchange for the assurance that EIDC lawyers could continue to represent him. Also under question is whether or not Cluff’s attorney fees should be paid by the EIDC. Cluff is being represented by EIDC’s legal counsel against allegations that he was involved in misappropriating agency funds (SHOOT, 9/20, p. 1).
Cluff’s attorneys contended that the EIDC’s executive committee does not have to power to force a leave of absence on him. Such action, they claim, can only be taken by the full 49-member EIDC board.
The executive committee voted for the leave of absence in light of the public imbroglio over the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s investigation of Cluff’s expenditures. Cluff and the EIDC are being scrutinized for alleged misappropriation of funds related to certain entertainment and travel expenses, as well as political contributions.
Cluff has also come under fire for EIDC funds contributed to the Pittsburgh Film Office and Film US, a group of nearly 200 local and state film commissioners formed to help retain and attract filming to the U.S. The Los Angeles County D.A.’s office has raided and seized documents from the offices and homes of Cluff and Film US chair Dawn Keezer, who’s also director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. The D.A.’s office has alleged that Cluff and Keezer conspired to improperly funnel funds to Film US and the Pittsburgh Film Office. Both Cluff and Keezer have denied any wrongdoing, with Cluff explaining that he felt it proper to support Keezer’s anti-runaway leadership reflected in Film US’ agenda, as well as the Pittsburgh Film Office, which was facing budget cuts threatening its survival.
Prior to Friday’s EIDC executive committee vote, Cluff stated that he wanted to remain in office until the ongoing controversy surrounding him is resolved. Cluff and his legal counsel have contended that the D.A.’s investigation is misguided because the EIDC doesn’t receive public funding—and as a private corporation designed to promote filming in Greater Los Angeles, the EIDC has incurred legitimate marketing expenses, which are being wrongly contested by the D.A.’s office. These include expenditures on entertainment events and travel to court film industry decision-makers about keeping and/or bringing lensing business into Los Angeles.
The D.A.’s office, however, views the EIDC as being a public agency, which therefore cannot make political contributions and does not have the authority to unilaterally incur unapproved entertainment and travel expenses. Investigators claim that some of these expenses are lavish and unjustified.
Earlier this month, three members of the EIDC executive committee—Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, Yaroslavsky and Greuel—called for Cluff to go on voluntary paid leave until the legal difficulties are cleared up. When Cluff declined, Greuel was among those who led the push to have the EIDC executive committee consider forcing him to do so. Greuel played a key role in securing the necessary votes from the exec committee.
Two pending studies on the EIDC, including an executive committee-ordered audit, are underway. Cluff’s supporters have contended that his taking a leave of absence isn’t warranted until those studies are completed. Reportedly, during its meeting last Friday, the executive committee authorized EIDC consultant Keith Comrie to name an interim EIDC president. That motion is for the moment seemingly in limbo until the status of Cluff’s leave is settled.
Cluff has been president of the EIDC since it was established in 1995 to help streamline city and county film permitting procedures for features, TV, commercials, music videos and other projects. The EIDC is also charged with promoting Greater Los Angeles to the entertainment community.
The EIDC has generally received favorable feedback from the spotmaking community for expediting permit requests, cutting through red tape and acting as a troubleshooter when filming-related problems arise in neighborhoods. The EIDC has also been proactively involved in developing education and hands-on training programs for students and established workers as a means of keeping the industry healthy for the long term.
As part of the latter effort, the EIDC has spearheaded extensive industry research, teaming with The PMR Group, a Los Angeles-based planing management and research firm, on varied projects, including a report on the visual effects/CGI labor market and that industry sector’s training needs and resources. The EIDC is additionally at the helm of the Entertainment Data Project (SHOOT, 5/31, p. 1), which aims to provide relevant info and statistics that will help the industry in lobbying government officials, in defining educational needs, and in retooling the existing workforce so that it can adapt to a changing, technology-driven marketplace.
