Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price got his arraignment on multiple counts related to development corruption delayed to late August.
At a court appearance this week the judge allowed Price to remain free ahead of a newly set August 18 court date but did grant a prosecutor’s request that the councilman be fingerprinted, the L.A. Times reported on Thursday. The judge also ordered that Price announce any conflicts of interest to the City Council and recuse himself from those votes.
It seems a little late for that: Price, a 72-year-old who has been active in politics in South L.A. for decades, was charged in June by the L.A. County District Attorney’s office with 10 criminal counts, including five for grand theft by embezzlement and two for conflict of interest.
Several of those charges related to real estate corruption: Between 2019 and 2021, Price’s wife, who runs a consulting firm, allegedly received more than $150,000 from developers with projects pending before the City Council. Price subsequently voted to approve several of the projects.
The councilman has maintained his innocence but immediately stepped down from his council committee assignments.
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“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,” he wrote after the charges were announced.
The corruption charges amounted to the latest in a string of scandals that have rocked L.A.’s City Council in recent years.
— Trevor Bach