Yet another member of the Los Angeles City Council has been arrested on allegations of financial corruption.
The charges against Curren Price, who has represented South Los Angeles for a decade, stem from an alleged pay-to-play scheme, where he is accused of voting on projects that directly benefited developers who had paid his wife’s consulting business a substantial sum of over $150,000 between 2019 and 2021.
Democratic LA city councilman charged with embezzlement, conflict of interest in latest political scandal https://t.co/C2Bx6i2u3x
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 14, 2023
These allegations have resulted in three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest being brought against Price.
The council member has also been accused of receiving improper medical coverage worth nearly $34,000 for his current wife while he was still legally married to another woman. For that, he faces five charges of embezzlement.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, in a statement, expressed his concern over the alleged conduct, stating, “This alleged conduct undermines the integrity of our government and erodes the public’s trust in our elected officials.”
“We will continue to work tirelessly to root out corruption at all levels and hold accountable those who betray the public’s trust,” the statement read further.
Price’s case adds to a string of similar cases involving members of the Los Angeles City Council. The 72-year-old would be the fourth council member to be arrested in recent years, raising concerns about the integrity of the city’s government.
While Price’s term is set to end in 2026, Council President Paul Krekorian has expressed his intention to introduce a motion to suspend Price from the Council. However, under the city charter, removal or replacement of a council member can only occur upon conviction.
Nonetheless, Price has voluntarily stepped down as the president pro tempore and has relinquished his committee assignments.
Even though he has not resigned from his seat, he stated in a letter to Krekorian, “While I navigate through the judicial system to defend my name against unwarranted charges filed against me, the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to the people’s business.”
“I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to be a strong voice for our culturally rich South Central, a part of our city that has long been disenfranchised, overlooked and forgotten,” he added.
