The leader of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), Va Lecia Adams Kellum, has been cleared of any misconduct concerning her signature on a $2.1 million contract with her husband’s employer, Upward Bound House.
The agency announced that the LAHSA Commission engaged an outside law firm in March to investigate the matter after LAist revealed that Adams Kellum’s signature appeared on the contract.
State conflict-of-interest laws prohibit officials from participating in contracts benefiting them or their relatives, including spouses.
In a memo released by Norton Rose Fulbright, the firm stated that Adams Kellum did not act unethically regarding the agreements with Upward Bound House, a nonprofit based in Santa Monica where her husband is in a senior leadership position.
The three-month investigation highlighted that Upward Bound House had an established relationship with LAHSA long before Adams Kellum took on the CEO role, and the agreements with the organization did not undergo significant changes after her appointment.
Christopher Yee, a spokesperson for LAHSA, noted in an email that Adams Kellum considered the signature matter important and acted swiftly to enhance internal control measures regarding contracts to prevent future errors.
Yee emphasized that the findings of the law firm reinforce Adams Kellum’s reputation as a principled and transparent public servant.
Although LAist sought additional comments from Adams Kellum regarding the investigation, Yee indicated that she was unavailable. The agency also declined to provide further details about the review, including interviews conducted or specific information that led to the findings.
According to the memo, the signatures of Adams Kellum on various agreements related to Upward Bound House were placed on documents by her staff without her input after prior approvals by LAHSA and the commission.
LAHSA characterized this as an “inadvertent clerical error” in a communication from Yee.
Earlier, LAist reported that a LAHSA spokesperson claimed Adams Kellum had mistakenly signed the contracts, which staff members inadvertently sent to her. In situations presenting a conflict of interest, LAHSA typically has contracts signed by the agency’s top programs officer instead.
Paul Rubenstein, another LAHSA spokesperson, remarked in an email to LAist that Adams Kellum did not participate in discussions regarding Upward Bound House contracts and had never overseen any agreements with the organization.
Furthermore, he mentioned that LAHSA is implementing measures to ensure such situations do not reoccur, including requiring additional training for staff members. He noted that all contracts undergo multiple reviews and must have three staff signatures before reaching the CEO or her designee.
The law firm’s investigation also confirmed that Adams Kellum did not take part in any decisions regarding the terms of the Upward Bound House contracts, including funding amounts or the scope of work.
Notably, she had disclosed a potential conflict of interest regarding her husband’s association with Upward Bound House to LAHSA prior to her appointment as CEO in March 2023.
In response, LAHSA established an “ethical wall” that Adams Kellum adhered to throughout her tenure.
The firm’s findings indicate that she was not involved in the renewal of LAHSA’s longstanding relationship with Upward Bound House, which dates back to at least 2008.
The investigation into Adams Kellum’s actions began in December when LAist requested copies of all contracts between LAHSA and Upward Bound House that had been active since she assumed the CEO position.
LAHSA provided 13 agreements totaling nearly 1,000 pages in response to the request. Review of these documents revealed that Adams Kellum signed three agreements with Upward Bound House, while her subordinates signed the remaining ten.
Among these agreements, the $2.1 million contract authorized federal taxpayer funds intended to support Unhoused individuals in the area by aiding with housing payments and case management services at Upward Bound House.
Records show that Adams Kellum’s signature appeared directly above her husband’s employer’s name, raising ethical questions leading to the investigation.
Despite the findings clearing her of any wrongdoing, the situation underscores the importance of adherence to conflict-of-interest policies in public service roles.
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