House ethics committee chairman Julian Dixon says there was no connection between his wife's share of a lucrative Los Angeles airport concession and the $170,000 in legal fees his committee paid the president of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.

Dixon confirmed on Tuesday that the ethics committee hired Johnnie L. Cochran, head of the airport board, three months after the companies in which Mrs. Dixon has an interest were awarded the concession to operate the airport stores.Dixon, D-Calif., said the two actions were unrelated.

"There was no connection," he said. "I want to make this as strong as I can . . . no connection between the hiring and Mrs. Dixon's business. I have never discussed with Johnnie Cochran anything about Betty Dixon's business."

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