Los Angeles city council member charged with embezzlement and perjury
Los Angeles City Council member Curren Price, center, at a news conference in April where Price announced his motion to raise the minimum wage for some L.A. airport and hotel workers to $30 an hour. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles City Council member Curren Price was charged with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest on Tuesday, becoming the latest in a years-long parade of elected city officials to face public corruption allegations from state or federal prosecutors.
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What charges have been brought against Curren Price Jr.?
Price -- a 10-year veteran of the City Council -- was charged with five counts of grand theft by embezzlement, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney's office.
The office did not immediately provide details on the charges or a copy of a criminal complaint.
Price was not immediately available for comment. He left the City Council chamber shortly after Tuesday's meeting ended around 2 p.m.
The charges are the latest in a series of criminal allegations and scandals that have rocked City Hall. Last year, the leak of a conversation among then-City Council President Nury Martinez, Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo and County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera containing racist remarks ended Martinez's council career and turned De Leon into a political pariah.
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Are there any other city council members being investigated for similar offenses?
Earlier this year, Council member Mark Ridley-Thomas was found guilty of conspiracy, bribery and fraud for extracting benefits for his son from USC while voting on issues that benefited the school.
Council members Mitch Englander and Jose Huizar also pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in recent years following an FBI probe.
Price was one of several City Hall figures mentioned in the FBI probe that ensnared Huizar and Englander after he was named in a federal search warrant filed in November 2018. Federal prosecutors never brought charges against him.
Price was the subject of ethics concerns in 2019 after it was revealed that he had cast votes on items that could affect clients of a consulting company owned by his wife, Del Richardson. The Times reported that Price voted on decisions involving at least 10 companies in the same years they were listed as providing at least $10,00 in income to Del Richardson & Associates.
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What actions did Price allegedly take to benefit his wife financially?
Del Richardson & Associates offers a wide array of services, including relocation assistance, marketing, job recruiting and more, according to its web site. Its clients include government agencies such as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Jordan Downs, a housing project overseen by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, according to the website.
In 2019, a Price spokesperson said that neither the council member nor his wife had benefited financially from the votes initially identified by The Times. The spokesperson also said that the Price "has never cast a vote thinking of his or his wife's financial interest."
California law bars any public official from making or participating in any governmental decision "in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest."
The scandal-marred City Council had regained tenuous stability in recent months, but Price's charges will likely upend that relative calm.
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How will Price's charges affect the city council's ability to govern?
The immediate question will be whether Price, whose term is not set to expire until 2026, remains on the council as he fights the charges. The council member was first elected in 2013 to represent neighborhoods in South L.A. and the area around downtown's L.A. Live.
Price's colleagues will likely face pressure to suspend him, given that the council voted twice in the last three years to suspend other members facing criminal charges.
If suspended, Price would be unable to attend council and committee meetings, execute contracts, use discretionary funds or engage in constituent services. His South Los Angeles constituents would also be left without a voting representative.
Price would permanently lose his seat if he is convicted of a felony under city rules.
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What is the potential punishment for Curren Price Jr. if he is found guilty of all charges?