LA Coliseum Is Deeper in the Red

The Los Angeles Coliseum is caught up in accusations of bribery, embezzlement, kickbacks and conflicts of interest that cost the publicly owned facility $2 million. Yesterday, the Coliseum Commission was told that losses for the year just ended will be $5 million, roughly a third of the operating budget. Also yesterday, the LA Times announced a lawsuit demanding nullification of a lease that gives USC almost total control of the Coliseum for 42 years, on the grounds that the deal was made in secret, a violation of state law. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is a member of the Commission.