The City of Bell scandal is a scandal involving misappropriation of public funds in Bell, California over a period of several years in the late 2000s. In July 2010, two Los Angeles Times reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, wrote an investigative journalism article on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood, California. In their exposé, they revealed that the city officials of Bell (a small blue collar community) were receiving salaries that were reported as the highest in the nation.[5] Subsequent investigations found atypically high property tax rates, allegations of voter fraud in municipal elections and other irregularities which heightened the ensuing scandal.[6] These and other reports led to widespread criticism and a demand for city officials to resign.[7][8] In February 2011, six city officials – Mayor Oscar Hernandez, City Council members Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal, and former council members Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello–pled not guilty to misappropriating public funds.[9] In a separate case, former city administrator Robert Rizzo and former city administrator Angela Spaccia were charged with misappropriating public funds, conflict of interest, falsifying public documents, and secreting public documents.[10][11] Deputy District Attorney Sean Hassett estimates that Rizzo and his assistant allegedly siphoned off more than $6.7 million before the public scandal emerged in the summer of 2010.[11] Prosecutors say the plot came close to bankrupting the small, blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles.[9][12] Hernandez, who had refused to resign, deputy mayor Teresa Jacobo and former council members Luis Artiga, George Cole, George Mirabel and Victor Bello,[13] also were mandated to keep 100 yards away from City Hall and were forbidden to participate in any of Bells civic affairs.[14] The Los Angeles Times reported on October 3, 2013 that ex-Bell City Manager Rizzo pleaded no contest on corruption charges and that he also plans to testify against his former second-in-command, Angela Spaccia.[15] The Los Angeles Times reported on April 9, 2014 that five former political leaders - George Cole, Oscar Hernandez, Teresa Jacobo, Victor Bello and George Mirabal - have agreed to plead no contest to corruption charges and could be sentenced to up to four years in prison for their roles.[16] On March 9, 2011, city voters overwhelmingly voted to recall Hernandez, Jacobo and Mirabal as well as council member Artiga, who had resigned from the council in 2010. Lorenzo Velez, the lone councilman who was not charged in the Bell corruption case, also lost his seat.[17] However, that left no majority in the city council to swear in the newly elected council. An emergency action was passed in the state Senate, obtained final approval in the Assembly and was signed by the Governor to empower an alternate to preside at the swearing-in.[18][19] On April 7, 2011, the bills author, California Assemblyman Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), swore in the entirely new city council.[20]
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:26:06 +0000
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