Alex Villanueva: Los Angeles County government is the modern day Tammany Hall
In essence, corruption within county government poses a severe threat to the very foundations of democracy and public trust.
The Los Angeles Times’ article from July 19, 2019, bore the screaming headline: “Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s son was hired to be a deputy seven months after his father took office.” My son applied to be a deputy when Jim McDonnell was sheriff, and for the record he joined the ranks of roughly 8,000 deputies when he graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy. A proud moment for any parent for sure, in spite of the Times’ curious efforts at sensationalism.
In stark contrast, when then-Rep. Janice Hahn won her first term on the LA County Board of Supervisors in 2016, she quietly hired her own son to be her “chief strategist,” quite the professional leap for an individual pulled from being the vice chair of the board of directors of “Camp Yakety Yak.” So Mom is the direct report for her son, Mark Baucum. She also hired her daughter-in-law, Jaclyn Baucum, to an executive position within county government.
Nepotism does not solely reside with the Hahn monarchy. Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted of public corruption charges by a jury and sentenced to 3 ½ years in federal prison for a nepotistic bribery and fraud scheme that corruptly secured benefits for his son, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. Sebastian had been elected to the state Assembly at the age of 26, replacing Holly J. Mitchell, nearly entirely due to his father’s political connections. Yes, the same Holly J. Mitchell currently running for reelection on the Board of Supervisors.
Sebastian abruptly resigned from office before his third term ended, as he was under investigation for two sexual harassment complaints, which would later determine he “more likely than not” was guilty. Sebastian was now unemployed, so Daddy swooped in and engineered an illegal “quid-pro-quo” scheme to obtain Sebastian a job as a professor at the University of Southern California, despite being unqualified and only having a bachelor’s degree when the job traditionally requires a PhD.
There is yet another offender. Let us not forget former Board of Supervisors member Sheila Kuehl and the fact she has been under investigation by the California Office of the Attorney General. The investigation centers around allegations that $800,000 in unnecessary and wasteful telephone hotline “no-bid” contracts were quietly awarded to Peace Over Violence, an organization run by longtime Kuehl friend, Patricia Giggans. Giggans was also appointed by Kuehl to a paid position on the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.
In essence, corruption within county government poses a severe threat to the very foundations of democracy and public trust. Transparency and accountability cannot be limited to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Good governance requires these values to exist across all of county government, including the actions of the board of supervisors and the independently elected sheriff, district attorney, and county assessor.
The board of supervisors must prioritize open communication channels, making information about decision-making processes, financial transactions, and policy implementations readily accessible to the public. Establishing and maintaining a robust system for disclosing government activities can serve as a deterrent to corruption, as officials are held accountable for their actions when under the scrutiny of an informed citizenry.
Implementing stringent oversight mechanisms is equally crucial. The county should invest in independent ethics commissions or watchdog agencies to monitor the conduct of public officials across all of county government. These bodies should have the authority to investigate allegations of corruption impartially and without fear of political interference. Regular audits and reviews of government expenditures can help identify irregularities and prevent malfeasance. Appointments should be made by a combination of nominations from all elected officials, not just the board of supervisors. Currently the board nominates virtually all commission members.
State law, specifically California Code of Regulations, Title 2,Section 87, prohibits nepotism in public workplaces, including all counties in California. It expressly states: “Appointing powers shall hire, transfer, and promote all employees on the basis of merit and fitness in accordance with civil service statutes, rules and regulations. Nepotism is expressly prohibited in the state workplace because it is antithetical to California’s merit based civil service system.”
The board of supervisors conveniently “forgot” to include themselves in upholding this law. Numerous departments within county government, however, have anti-nepotism rules for the workplace. Let’s make it cover ALL of county government! Boss Tweed himself would have blushed with the antics of Janice Hahn and her peers on the board of supervisors. It’s time for career politicians who put their family’s interest ahead of their constituents to leave public office.
Alex Villanueva previously served as sheriff of Los Angeles County. He is now a candidate for Los Angeles County supervisor in District 4. https://www.alex4supervisor.com/