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Angela Spaccia wraps up testimony in her Bell corruption trial
Former Bell Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia with her attorney, Harland Braun, left.
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Angela Spaccia wraps up testimony in her Bell corruption trial
Angela Spaccia Monday wrapped up more than a week of testimony in her public corruption trial, struggling to answer more tough questions about her actions as assistant city administrator of Bell.
The prosecution completed its cross examination of the former assistant city administrator of Bell. Spaccia faces more than a dozen felony charges. KPCC’s Corey Moore says Spaccia struggled to answer more tough questions about high salaries.
Deputy District Attorney Sean Hassett questioned Spaccia about the roughly year and a half that she had taken leave from work to care for her sick grandfather and son. She continued to receive her full salary -- more than a half million dollars a year -- and accrue benefits during that time.
Hassett asked Spaccia if she believed the people of Bell should have to pay for that. She said she didn’t have an opinion on the matter.
When Spaccia suggested she spent extra hours working for Bell that she never reported, Hassett became the most aggressive he’d been during three days of questioning.
He asked if those extra hours came from creating contracts that awarded supersized salaries to herself and top city managers. Spaccia denied that happened.
At one point, Hassett pressed Spaccia about a succession of city loans she took out while working for Bell that totaled more than a quarter of a million dollars. Spaccia said she trusted the loans were legal.
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Under redirect from her attorney, Harland Braun, Spaccia choked up as she maintained she never conspired with her boss - ex city manager Robert Rizzo - to authorize exorbitant contracts.
Judge Kathleen Kennedy said closing arguments could begin by Wednesday.
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