Bell Scandal Essay

The City of Bell scandal involves misappropriation of public funds in Bell, California, one of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County and a small blue collar community, over a period of several years in the late 2000s. In July 2010, two Los Angeles Times reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, wrote an investigative piece on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood, California. In their exposé, they reveal that Bell city officials are receiving salaries that are reportedly the highest in the nation. The scandal resulted in the prosecution of seven officials accused of deceiving the poor city out of more than 10 million dollars. The scandal had sweeping implications on governments across California, prompting legislation

In 2009, in emails between the assistant city administrator Angela Spaccia and Randy Adams, the soon to be hired police chief, at the time, which stated, “I am looking forward to seeing you and taking all of Bell’s money? Administrator Spaccia responded, “We will all get fat together. Bob has an expression he likes to use on occasion “Pigs get Fat. Hogs get slaughtered! So, as long as we’re not Hogs, all is well!”. In July 2010, a series of investigative stories published by the Los Angeles Times revealed that several city officials are being paid salaries significantly higher than those in other cities. City council members later voted to reduce their pay to that of what Councilman Lorenzo Velez, was being paid, $8,076 a year. In August 2010, for four years Bell refused to turn over public records to The Times, community activists, and even a sitting councilmember. When the city finally started providing documents, they showed that Rizzo’s true annual compensation is $1.5 million, which exceeds twice of what he claimed. In September 2010, City Manager Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant city manager Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of public funds. In February 2011, six city of Bell officials, Mayor Hernandez, City Council members Jacobo and Mirabal, and former Council Members Artiga, Cole and Bello plead not guilty to misappropriating of public funds. City manager Rizzo and former City Administrator Spaccia were charged with misappropriating of public funds, conflict of interest, falsifying public documents, and secreting public documents. On March 8, 2011, city voters