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Corruption Charges: From Washington to the City of Bell
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Corruption Charges: From Washington to the City of Bell

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As she demanded last week on Which Way, LA?, the House Ethics Committee today made public its charges against LA Democrat Maxine Waters. The California Congresswoman still wants her case to be heard as soon as possible. We look at the impact here and on Capitol Hill.  Also, Attorney General Jerry Brown has subpoenaed nine present and former officials of the City of Bell. What does he want to know? What about his campaign for Governor? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, the Obama Administration will help the United Arab Emirates with nuclear technology, as long as it doesn’t reprocess uranium on its own soil. But Vietnam will be allowed to do that.  Also, the death of ten aid workers in Afghanistan.

Banner image: House Finance Committee chair Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) (2R) confers with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) (R), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) (L) and a staff member during the House-Senate Conference Committee meeting on  the 'Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act' June 15, 2010 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Making News

House Ethics Committee Releases Charges against Maxine Waters ()

The Congressional Ethics Committee today made public charges against Los Angeles Democrat Maxine Waters, as she demanded last week and explained in an interview here on WWLA?. Today, the committee said her chief of staff, Mikael Moore — who's also her grandson — was actively involved in getting help from the Treasury Department for OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, where Waters' husband had been a board member and still had significant investments. Charges include breaking the House rule saying members must "behave in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House," breaching the "spirit" of a rule against using influence for personal benefit, and violating the Code of Ethics for Government Service.

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Main Topic

AG Jerry Brown Subpoenas Bell Officials over Excessive Salaries ()

Past and present officials made between $800,000 and $1.5 million from the City of Bell, a situation made possible by a special election, for which just 400 people turned out in a city of 40,000. Among the nine officials subpoenaed today is Robert Rizzo, Bell's former City Manger, whose salary was almost $800,000, with benefits pushing his compensation package to $1.5 million. Attorney General Jerry Brown is investigating the salaries which he says "could constitute a violation that would bring into question the entire election." Brown is also the Democratic candidate for Governor, a post he held for two terms in the 1970's and 80's.

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Main Topic

American Double Standard for Nuclear Non-proliferation? ()

In the Wall Street Journal last week, Jay Solomon reported that the Obama Administration is employing a "double standard" when it comes to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons technology. What's called "the gold standard" was established in a deal with the United Arab Emirates, which accepted help building power plants but agreed not to enrich uranium on its own soil. Solomon found that another standard is being used in negotiations with Vietnam.  Non-proliferation advocates, like Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, are furious.

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Reporter's Notebook

Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan ()

The International Assistance Mission has identified the ten workers massacred last week in northern Afghanistan, calling two of them "irreplaceable." Meantime, it's reported that their driver is being held by Afghan authorities.  The Taliban have claimed responsibility for ambushing the humanitarians with decades of experience in Afghanistan, saying the group was not just supplying medical aid but spying and preaching Christianity.

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Underwriters

Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.

 

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