Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian defended Wednesday in a city email

account

to support a candidate

whose

Krekorian

had

approved in Tuesday’s primary election.

In a statement emailed to the media by his office shortly before midnight on Tuesday, Krekorian wrote Fr

increased

former Councilman Adrin Nazarian, a one-time assistant to the council president who is seeking his former boss’s seat in the eastern San Fernando Valley. Krekorian was unable to seek another term due to term limits.

“I am especially proud to see former Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian claim a commanding lead in the race to succeed me as Representative of the Second District,” Krekorian’s statement said.

It has been my privilege to represent this district for fourteen years and I am pleased to see that voters have chosen a candidate with experience, vision, competence and a record of absolute integrity in public service, wrote Krekorian. Adrin’s performance in the National Assembly has earned the trust of voters in the East Valley, and I am confident that his strong grassroots support will carry him to victory.

Krekorian’s statement also congratulated his colleagues on the City Council, all of whom were leaders in their respective races, saying that “voters across the city validate the City Council’s work to change Los Angeles.”

Nazarian appears headed to a November runoff against businessman Sam Kbushyan, but partial returns

show

.

Officials are prohibited from using city emails or city resources, including staff, for political activity, according to city ethics laws. The Ethics Commission defines “political activity” as activity that focuses on the success or failure of a candidate for elective office or ballot measure in future elections.

Such violations can result in fines of up to $5,000.

When Krekorian was asked Wednesday whether the email violated the city’s ethics laws, he said, “That was not my intention. I don’t think this looked like a campaign. I hope that’s not the case. supporting someone is not campaigning.”

His communications director, Hugh Esten, wrote the statement at his behest, Krekorian said.

Krekorian said he is confident he will hear from the Ethics Commission if there is a problem with the email. The council chairman was a member of the all-volunteer panel in the late 1990s.

In 2015, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office was forced to retract an email endorsing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton after it was sent from a city email account. The endorsement was later sent by Garcetti’s campaign adviser.