That’s Debatable

D. All of the above, but the most concerning is C. Our elected leaders need to behave with a sense of professionalism and establish a clear line when it comes to conflicts of interest. And an inappropriate personal relationship is clearly over that line. We need our legislators to be independent and serve the interests of the district, not special interests. There are certain fundamental principles to our democratic system of government that exist at each level of government. The most basic are openness and accountability.”

Assemblyman Van Tran

(R-Costa Mesa)

Mike Duvall’s resignation was appropriate. Politicians survive affairs and embarrassing open mic episodes with depressing regularity. What made this situation different was the possibility of an affair with a lobbyist whose portfolio included the subject matter covered by the committee where Mr. Duvall sat as vice chairman. This clearly crossed the line from unacceptable personal conduct to unacceptable professional conduct.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore

(R-Newport Beach)

Assemblyman Duvall acted inappropriately on many levels. What he did was wrong, and his resignation was completely appropriate.

State Sen. Tom Harman

(R-Costa Mesa)