Community Leaders Voice Support for Councilman Richard Alarcon

Supporters of Richard Alarcon made use of the public comment segment of yesterday's City Council meeting to voice their support for the Councilman in the face of legal troubles stemming from allegations he has been residing outside is council district, reports the Daily News.

Among those who spoke up about Alarcon included Blinky Rodriguez, who runs an anti-gang program, who "praised Alarcón for his involvement in the community and efforts on behalf of fighting gangs." The NAACP's Valley chapter president Sharon Garret says it's not Alarcon's actions that are quesitonable: "I have a problem with the ethics of this investigation."

The investigation has been ongoing for several months, after Alarcon was first accused of not living at the Panorama City address listed on his voter registration, and further, that he was actually residing in the home owned by his wife, Flora, located outside his council district in neighboring Sun Valley. This week a grand jury indicted Alarcon and his wife on 18 charges stemming from those allegations.

In response to the public show of support for Alarcon, the politician "said he could not comment because of the charges against him. An aide said he was overwhelmed by the show of support." In a statement issued following the indictment, Alarcon said that all the charges against them were "simply incorrect."