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LA DA launches inquiry into supervisors' spending
A view of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, Calif.
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LA DA launches inquiry into supervisors' spending
LA DA launches inquiry into supervisors' spending
The Los Angeles County District Attorney has opened an inquiry into the spending practices of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
The head of the District Attonrey's Public Integrity Unit, David Demerjian, says he launched the inquiry in response to a complaint over possible misappropriation of funds.
Demerjian would not name who filed the complaint, but he said it surfaced on the same day the
That story detailed how supervisors sometimes use millions of dollars in discretionary funds on pet projects or on bolstering their public images.
Examples: Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky spent $200,000 on his new county Web site and Facebook accounts; Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas used $25,000 to buy a place in the magazine Who’s Who in Black L.A.
The spending coincides with the supervisors’ plans to make deep cuts in spending on public safety and social services. Reduced tax revenues and state funding have stretched the county budget.
The District Attorney is also looking into whether the Supervisors violated the Brown Act. The Times' story raised questions about why some decisions on discretionary money are not made in open meetings.
Two other interesting notes on the inquiry:
The Board of Supervisors approves funding for the District Attorney.
The District Attorney, Steve Cooley, is running for State Attorney General — in part on the platform that he is tough on public corruption.
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