Capitol raid. State Senator Ron Calderon is letting his lawyer do the talking following a search of his Capitol office by FBI agents.
The agents removed several boxes of documents from the Montebello Democrat’s office last night as well as what appeared to be a computer hard drive. The raid also targeted the office of the Latino Legislative Caucus in Sacramento.
An FBI spokeswoman says the search was conducted to “investigate allegations of criminal activity” in L.A. County. But she wouldn’t say what the agents were looking for. Calderon was not in his office at the time and he hasn’t commented. An aide referred calls to the senator’s lawyer, high-profile L.A. defense attorney Mark Geragos. Geragos says his client is being targeted in a bait-and-switch – to mute the outcry over recent disclosures that include the FBI obtaining the phone and email records from AP reporters and a Fox News correspondent.
The FBI spokeswoman says the investigation is in its early stages and it’s too soon to know if charges will be filed. Sacramento Bee
Bullish on California. The latest economic forecast from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management finds that technology and high-tech jobs are leading California’s economic comeback. But it says the country as a whole is failing to create enough good jobs to sustain a strong middle class. In California, the Forecast predicts strong growth in both employment and income this year and next, with unemployment dropping to 8.1 percent by the end of 2014. For the first time in a while, construction has become a growth area for California’s economy. L.A. Times
DWP salaries. An L.A. Superior Court judge says he’s unmoved by pleas from DWP employees to have their salaries kept secret. The union representing the employees sued to block the release of the information to the L.A. Times under a public records request. Hundreds of DWP workers asked that their names be kept off the list because of security concerns. They included typists, meter readers and mechanics. But Judge James Chalfant calls most of the requests for secrecy “frivolous.” He’s ordered the union to return to court with a smaller list of employees that might have legitimate concerns – but he says he’s leaning toward releasing all of the data. L.A. Times
Dorner dismissal. An internal LAPD review concludes the department was justified in firing Christopher Dorner. Civil rights attorney Connie Rice says the examination found no basis for Dorner’s allegations of racism and bias in his dismissal from the department. Dorner killed four people during a week-long rampage in February after vowing revenge against former colleagues and their families in an online manifesto. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck asked for the internal review during the manhunt for Dorner, which ended with his death in a mountain cabin. AP
Hollywood handouts. California’s latest tax break lottery for film and television productions produced 31 winners. The California Film Commission says more than 380 productions applied for a share of the $100 million in credits available in the fiscal year that begins next month. That’s the most in the five-year history of the program. Projects in line to get breaks include a Warner Bros. feature based on the television show “Entourage,” MTV’s “Teen Wolf, ” and a movie of the week called “Cloudy With a Chance of Love.” Which Way, L.A.?
No cars. Drivers be warned: Bus only lanes are debuting today on Wilshire Boulevard – and you can get a ticket if you drive in them during peak hours. The bus lanes run for about two miles between Western Avenue and MacArthur Park. They’ll be in effect from 7 to 9 a.m., and between 4 and 7 p.m. They’re the opening segment of a corridor of bus-only lanes that will eventually extend between downtown and Westwood. Metro officials say bus trips should drop by 12 to 15 minutes once the corridor is complete. Bicyclists are also allowed to use the lanes. L.A. Times