Bell Gardens Ca Government Officials

A group of Latino business owners in Bell Gardens launched a protest outside City Hall on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of the newly appointed city manager. The business owners say that City Manager Maria Chacon is politically divisive and unqualified for the job and that she will hurt the business climate of the blue-collar community in southeast Los Angeles County.

Large teams of district attorney's investigators raided city halls of two southeast Los Angeles County cities Tuesday, searching offices for documents and records as part of a wide-ranging public corruption investigation. Sweeping into Cudahy City Hall shortly after it opened, investigators ordered employees out of their offices and sealed off the building from the public for much of the day. At nearby Bell Gardens City Hall, investigators executed search warrants.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has advised Bell Gardens to stop paying its embattled city manager because she is under investigation for possibly violating conflict-of-interest laws. Prosecutors contend that Maria Chacon's contract with the city is void and that she should pay back any salary she received since her appointment in 2000. The advisory affidavit letter, sent to the city's finance director late last month, was obtained this week by The Times.

Even when something good happens in Bell Gardens, something bad follows. When an elegant monument honoring Latino war heroes was unveiled during Memorial Day weekend, the city--more used to being in the spotlight because of its history of scandalous politics--basked in rare positive media coverage. But even that has turned a bit sour.

A political corruption probe of Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon seemed on the verge of a serious setback Friday after a judge issued a tentative ruling saying Chacon may be exempt from conflict-of-interest violations. But Superior Court Judge David Yaffe decided to put off his final decision after a prosecutor argued that Chacon, a former City Council member, unlawfully influenced fellow members to appoint her city manager.

A judge expected to rule on a key issue related to the political corruption probe of Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon will not make a final decision until at least June 26. Superior Court Judge David Yaffe last week issued a tentative ruling in the case, saying Chacon may be exempt from laws governing conflict-of-interest violations.

A judge expected to rule on a key issue in the political corruption probe of Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon will not make a final decision until at least June 26. Superior Court Judge David Yaffe last week issued a tentative ruling in the case, saying Chacon may be exempt from laws governing conflict-of-interest violations.

The political corruption probe of Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon has passed a key test after a judge ruled that conflict-of-interest laws could apply to the embattled official. The ruling, released this week, opens the door for prosecutors to possibly file criminal charges against Chacon, a former council member under investigation for voting for measures that cleared the way for her appointment as city manager.

Prosecutors have charged Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon with violating conflict-of-interest laws by allegedly orchestrating a power play that pressured City Council members to vote for her appointment. The felony complaint, after a two-month investigation, marks the first charges levied against a public official by the newly formed public integrity division of the district attorney's office.

It didn't take long for the district attorney's new public integrity division to pounce on its first targets. Only 6 months old, the unit charged with rooting out political corruption in Los Angeles County has raided city halls and searched officials' homes at gunpoint. It has gained the authority to listen in on closed-door meetings of one school district.