When the Chamber of Commerce CEO also sits on City Council
On Monday, April 27, Culver City was forced to restructure City Council committees due to conflicts of interest facing Council member Dan O'Brien. O'Brien was recently hired by the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, triggering a series of inquiries into potential conflicts between his role as the Chamber’s paid advocate and representing his Culver City constituents.
In January 2026, Culver City Councilmember Dan O’Brien took a paid position as President and CEO of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce. This dual role has raised questions because advocacy to the city council is a central part of the Chamber’s mission. The Chamber maintains a dedicated Government Affairs Committee, with regular attendance by the CEO. This group is responsible for establishing the organization's formal legislative stances. Based on past practice, the chief executive then actively champions these corporate interests before the City Council.
Promised Benefits of Advocacy & Access
The Chamber describes itself as representing business interests and “fights for pro-business legislation on your behalf from City Hall to Sacramento” (emphasis added). It offers higher-tier members benefits including “advocacy and exclusive access to spheres of influence” and participation in stakeholder meetings, including a CEO roundtable. As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit business league, the Chamber may engage in unlimited lobbying activities in furtherance of its mission.
Major Corporate Participation in the Chamber
With approximately 420 members, the Chamber represents roughly 9% of Culver City’s estimated 4,500 businesses. The Chamber’s Board of Directors and notable participants include several of the city’s largest corporate stakeholders, such as Hackman Capital Partners (owners of the Culver Studios and the Culver Steps), Apple, Amazon, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Southern California Hospital at Culver City, and Southern California Gas Company.
Overlapping Roles and Access to Decision-Makers
Because the same individual now serves both as a City Council Member and as the Chamber’s Chief Executive, routine meetings with Chamber members may raise questions about whether those interactions occur in an official City capacity, a Chamber advocacy capacity, or both. The Chamber’s own description of advocacy and stakeholder access as membership benefits makes these role boundaries especially important to clarify.
FPPC Review and Required Recusals
In early 2026, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) declined enforcement of a complaint related to Councilmember O’Brien’s Chamber employment because no specific governmental decision was identified that would create a disqualifying conflict. However, more recent FPPC advice letters indicate recusals may be required where City decisions could materially affect the Chamber’s purposes or goals when an official receives income from the organization.
In April 2026, during restructuring of subcommittees related to digital kiosks and local minimum wage policies, the City Attorney suggested Councilmember O’Brien recuse himself and temporarily leave Council chambers, based on an April 17, 2026 advice letter from the FPPC. Understandably, there are concerns that this will become an ongoing issue.
Potential Future Conflicts of Interest
Former Chamber President/CEO Colin Diaz spoke publicly before the Council on at least 40 to 60 occasions over 4.5 years, vocally opposing closure of the Inglewood Oil Field, minimum wage increases, pandemic-era “hero pay,” single-use plastic and styrofoam bans, mobility lane reconfigurations, rent control, and tenant protection measures.
Looking ahead, Councilmember O’Brien’s simultaneous service as both a voting member of the City Council and the chief executive of an organization whose mission includes influencing public policy raises the potential for future conflicts of interest as the City considers matters affecting Chamber members, including some of the largest landowners in the city. Topics of concern include nearly every major issue before the City Council, such as land-use approvals, zoning decisions, renter protections, tax measures, labor standards and minimum wage policies, ordinances pertaining to sustainability and climate change mitigation, city-sponsored events that could benefit Chamber members, and the use of streets and public spaces where Chamber member-businesses operate storefronts.
Given the ongoing potential conflicts in this dual role, we would ask Council Member O'Brien to step down as Chamber CEO and focus on the commitment he made to the city when he was elected as a Council Member.