Bell corruption trial: Spaccia returns to stand in her own defense

Ex-Bell assistant city manager Angela Spaccia returned to the witness stand Friday in her public corruption case. 

Defense attorney Harland Braun asked Spaccia about budgets she coordinated for about ten years under the direction of her boss Robert Rizzo, who was the city manager. 

Spaccia testified that at one point Rizzo called a meeting with other managers and told them they needed to cut the budget down because they were spending too much.  

Spaccia said she was puzzled because a short time before that, Rizzo had given management raises that she thought were inappropriate.

She said when she later discussed it with Rizzo, he told her not to worry about it.   

Spaccia also told jurors that starting in 2003, she created most of the city’s employment agreements, using her own contract as a template. She said no one ever told her anything was wrong with that.

Spaccia said she never had authority to change agreements. She said the amounts of salaries, raises or changes in benefits were given to her by Rizzo or the administrative services director.  

Spaccia faces 13 felony corruption charges.