Bell corruption trial

Bell corruption case coverage

• City of Bell to install new City Council (4/06/2011)

Scandal-plagued Bell will finally have a City Council on Thursday when five newly elected members are sworn in.

• Election results certified in Bell city election (4/06/2011)

Los Angeles County Supervisors have certified last month’s election results that put a brand new city council in place in Bell. That means the old one will be gone soon.

• Grand jury indicts former Bell City Manager Rizzo and assistant on new fraud charges (3/30/2011)

A Los Angeles County grand jury today indicted former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo and his former assistant manager on new criminal charges in a major corruption case.

• Rizzo back in court; pleads ‘not guilty’ to fraud charges (3/24/2011)

The man prosecutors say led a scam to bilk millions of dollars from the city of Bell - former city administrator Robert Rizzo - was arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday. Rizzo and three other former city leaders pleaded "not guilty" to numerous fraud charges.

• Judge rules Robert Rizzo’s horse play leads to conflict of interest (3/16/2011)

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled on Wednesday that former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo will stand trial on another criminal charge — conflict of interest.

• Judge orders former Bell city manager Rizzo to stand trial (3/10/2011)

A judge has ordered former Bell city manager Robert Rizzo and his assistant to stand trial on charges they looted millions of dollars from taxpayers.

• Bell overwhelmingly OKs council recall; LA City Council incumbents re-elected (3/09/2011)

Residents of the city of Bell ousted four City Council members who faced corruption charges.

• Whatever the election results, Bell city voters win (3/08/2011)

Activists in the southeastern L.A. County city of Bell say they expect a big turnout at the polls today. For months, many voters there have paid close attention as prosecutors filed corruption charges against several city leaders. People in Bell will choose new occupants for five City Council seats – and may recall two other council members and the mayor.

• Bell city voters prepare to usher in new corruption-free government (3/04/2011)

The city of Bell in southeastern Los Angeles County has attracted national attention since an L.A. Times investigation last year found evidence of rampant corruption among public officials. As Tuesday’s election approaches, more than half a dozen City Council members and managers face allegations of criminal misconduct. Some activists see opportunity in the small city’s crisis.

• Ex-Bell city attorney says he didn’t sign off on Rizzo’s big raises (3/04/2011)

Bell’s former city attorney Edward Lee testified Friday that he’s unaware how his signature got onto several contracts that increased the salary for former city manager Robert Rizzo.

• Bell police come under fire in Bell corruption hearing (3/01/2011)

As testimony continues in the preliminary hearing for several city of Bell officials, the city’s police department is fielding harsh criticism.

• Prelim hearing picks up for ex-Bell city manager Rizzo charged with looting millions of public dollars (2/28/2011)

A preliminary hearing is scheduled to continue this morning for Robert Rizzo. He’s the former Bell city administrator accused of leading a scam that siphoned more than $5 million in public money. After Rizzo had a medical emergency, the presiding judge cut short last week’s testimony.

• Ex-Bell city manager Rizzo hospitalized with chest pains during preliminary hearing (2/24/2011)

The preliminary hearing for former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo - who faces dozens of corruption charges - was cut short Wednesday. Rizzo was taken to the hospital - and some spectators were less than sympathetic.

• Disgraced former Bell city manager Rizzo hospitalized with chest pains (2/23/2011)

Former Bell city manager Robert Rizzo was transported by ambulance from a courtroom in downtown Los Angeles during a hearing on allegations against him and several others. Details are sketchy about why the 50-year-old needed urgent medical attention.

• E-mail: Bell officials joked of acting like pigs (2/14/2011)

Documents filed in court by prosecutors reveal two top administrators in the scandal-ridden California city of Bell joked about acting like pigs as they raised their salaries to enormous levels and created a paper trail to try to hide it.

• Preliminary hearings over 'Bell Eight' corruption continue (2/14/2011)

Testimony in the “Bell Eight” preliminary hearings continues for a second week. This morning, defense attorneys took turns grilling the Bell city clerk.

• Bell official says false salary figures released (2/10/2011)

Testimony wraps up today in the first week of the preliminary hearing for the Bell Eight. They're charged with misusing city money. Prosecutors want a judge to order a trial for the eight current and former Bell city officials.

• Preliminary hearing underway for ‘Bell Eight’ politicians (2/09/2011)

The only Bell city councilman who wasn’t charged with scamming millions of dollars testified in the second day of preliminary hearings Tuesday. Six City Council members are facing a judge in Los Angeles on dozens of felony counts - including misappropriation of public funds.

• Preliminary hearing for 'Bell Eight' public officials begins (2/07/2011)

Today marks the start of the preliminary hearing for the “Bell Eight” – the eight former Bell city officials accused of looting the city treasury.

• 8 Bell city officials arrested, including mayor (9/21/2010)

The mayor and ex-city manager of the Los Angeles suburb of Bell were among eight current and former city officials arrested Tuesday in a corruption scandal that authorities said cost the blue-collar city more than $5.5 million in excessive salaries and illegal personal loans.

• Bell city officials arrested (AirTalk, 9/21/2010)

Eight current and former Bell city officials were arrested this morning, charged with misappropriation of $5.5 million in public funds stemming from the city’s ongoing salary scandal.

• Brown concedes Bell lawsuit is novel (9/15/2010)

California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced Wednesday he’s suing eight current and former Bell city officials whose big salaries set off angry protests.

• Bell recall campaign to begin this weekend (9/05/2010)

The hits just keep on coming in connection with the salary scandal in Bell, where a recall campaign is to begin this weekend.

• Three Bell officials resign over pay scandal (7/23/2010)

The three top administrators whose exorbitant salaries sparked outrage in the tiny city of Bell in Southeast L.A. agreed to resign Thursday night.

• Bell to discuss firing high-paid officials (7/22/2010)

The Bell City Council is considering firing its police chief and two top administrators whose high salaries sparked outrage in the small suburb southeast of Los Angeles.

• Angry responses to Bell salaries (7/21/2010)

People in the city of Bell are responding to a recent Los Angeles Times article that reported their city manager makes nearly almost $800,000 a year and the chief of police receives double the LAPD Chief‘s pay.

• Bell orders probe of hefty city paychecks (7/20/2010)

The Bell City Council has ordered its staff to look into city salaries after reports that some officials are earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

• LA County DA to investigate salaries of Bell council members (6/24/2010)

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office says it’s investigating why council members in the small city of Bell make $100,000 a year for part-time work. Bell in southeastern L.A. County is a working class city with about 40,000 people. This week, the D.A.’s office announced it will conduct an initial probe of Bell’s council members who take home just over $8,000 a month. The D.A. says that’s too much for part-time council members to rake in — especially in such a small city.

• LA County probes $8,000-a-month Bell salaries (6/24/2010)

Los Angeles County is looking into the paychecks of City Council members in the small city of Bell - who make nearly $100,000 a year for part-time work.

Return to Top