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LA City Hall Scandals
Will Voters Strike A Blow Against Institutionalized Corruption?
Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price is facing corruption charges. His long-time Deputy Chief Of Staff wants a seat on the council.
“We must not allow the status quo of corruption to continue to spread like cancer.”
– Marisa Alcaraz campaign flyer
Just as the early voting period was set to begin in the race to replace disgraced former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, the city’s government was rocked by yet another scandal. No, Councilman Curren Price was not caught on tape casually engaging in a racist conversation with his fellow council members. Instead, he “was charged with embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest” becoming “the fourth councilman to face corruption charges since 2020.”
As Price’s Deputy Chief of Staff, the timing of this disclosure is unfortunate for Marisa Alcaraz. Locked in a close race with Imelda Padilla for the Council District 6 Special Election, Alcaraz now has to convince voters that she was oblivious to the alleged crimes of her boss. While she has not been accused of playing a role in Price’s malfeasance, she is close enough to him to pick up the stench.
With the electorate numbed by the continued parade of negative headlines, being scandal adjacent is not always enough to derail a political career. “City Staffer B” not only worked for convicted felon Mitch Englander, but he was also a participant in the Las Vegas debauchery that resulted in his former boss doing jail time. Despite suspicions that Englander’s Chief of Staff and successor John Lee is “City Staffer B” he remains in office. With the help of the City Attorney’s office, Neighborhood Councils have been dissuaded from asking their representative questions about his involvement in the scandal. Lee is so sure that he will continue to ride out the storm that he has already registered with the city ethics department to run for re-election next year.
