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At Least 8 Reportedly Arrested in City of Bell Scandal
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
You can predict the cheers from residents on this one. Citing an anonymous source, the LA Times says at least eight city of Bell officials and employees have been arrested. Who and what charges will be brought against them will be announced later today at a press conference, but it's likely that among the arrested include City Manager Robert Rizzo and at least four of the five city councilmembers.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has been investigating the city since March and the LA Times broke the story in July. Originally, the issue was the sky high salaries earned by the city manager -- at first it was nearly $800,000, then it was learned it was more like $1.5 million with compensation -- the part-time city council and other employees. But that wasn't it, there was aggressive towing, loans given out to employees and illegal taxes.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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