‘I’m not a pig,’ ex-Bell administrator says in TV interview [Video]

A former top administrator in Bell who joked about getting "fat together" on the city's dime denied wrongdoing in the public corruption scandal and said she would never do anything to hurt the city's residents.

Angela Spaccia made the statements to KTTV Fox 11 reporter Gigi Graciette during an interview that will air over two nights. It is the first lengthy interview Spaccia has granted since news of her excessive salary broke last summer. She and former city administrator Robert Rizzo are considered the chief masterminds behind the pay and corruption scandal.

"I'm not a pig. I'm not unscrupulous," Spaccia said in the interview. "I've always been the champion of trying to take care of things and people."

Spaccia is facing charges that she misappropriated public funds. She made headlines again this week after prosecutors released damaging e-mails between Spaccia and former police chief Randy Adams. In the e-mails, she quoted what she described as a favorite Rizzo saying: "Pigs get Fat … Hogs get slaughtered!!!! So as long as we're not Hogs … All is well!"

Spaccia told Garciette she was "naïve" and feels betrayed by Rizzo. She said she did not know about contracts that gave him raise after raise for a compensation package that totaled about $1.5 million. But Spaccia had her own lucrative contract. She received about $375,000 in base salary -– more than almost all city managers in the state -– and had a benefits package worth $845,960. Spaccia is also accused of taking $230,000 in illegal loans from the city.

"I feel this immense responsibility to the people of Bell," Spaccia said. "I don't know that they would ever want my help, but that's where my heart is. I feel terrible for these people."

The second part of Spaccia's interview airs Wednesday night.

RELATED:

Steve Lopez: Are ex-Bell officials hogs or pigs?

City of Bell lent employees nearly $900,000

Husband of star witness in Bell case removed from court

-- Kimi Yoshino

Video: Bell's former assistant city administrator Angela Spaccia in an interview with KTTV Fox 11. Credit: KTTV Fox 11

Comments

[Ronin]

No you're not a pig. As you said, you are now a HOG!

[JC]

Alligator Tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[M.O.]

Bye Bye.

[M.O.]

And what is the FOX news lady wearing????

[Not in LA]

"I've always been the champion of trying to take care of things and people." Right, she took care of herself.

"...I'm not a pig..."
I was thinking more heifer or brood mare.

"...I feel terrible for these people..."
She's only upset because Rizzo's deal was better than hers.

[A_K]

It always seems ok when no one is looking. Because you are not taking from one person with a face, it seems like a victimless crime.

How is there even a question what to do with these people? If they were poor and stealing a piece of bread, they would go to jail in no time. If you steal a million dollars, we need to waste another million dollars in litigation expenses and a year of time for them to get a plea deal with no time served.

If this woman had an ounce of decency, she would give back what she knew to be inappropriate pay and accept the consequences.

[Ex-Bell resident]

I don't believe her. She has worked in city government all her life, how could she not know that her salary was excessive? Even if she didn't know that Rizzo was giving himself raises, her own salary should have been a hint that something wasn't right in Bell.

[Stevie]

I was employed in Maywood when she was loaned to us by
Bell just prior to the scandal breaking out. She was rutheless, a liar, and a cut throat. If she was a softy like in the video then maybe I would have sympathy. I truly believe those are alligator tears and she fears going to prison where she really belongs.

[bothofmany]

This little piggie needs to go to the butcher.

[No Name]

She's just another woman trying to manipulate people with her tears. Women LOVE being the victim when it's convenient.

[Rich Landry]

What a pathetic PR campaign; what about the 120 employees she layed-off in Maywood for no reason? What about the fact that she personally drew a salary she knew was excessive to the profession - higher than almost all City Managers in the U.S.? What about the illegal loans she took, I thought she is suppose to be intelligent and know the law? What about the "jaw droping e-mails" not related to the case(as defined by the D.A) we haven't seen yet?
PATHETIC, PATHETIC, PATHETIC!

[prison for u]

Prison time!

[Rob]

Why hasn't Randy Adams been arrested?

[ReaderRyan]

Angela Spaccia,

If you didn't do wrong and really feel you have the city's best interests at heart, perhaps you could demonstrate this with a starting donation of $1,000,000 to the city. That would be a small portion of what you overpaid yourself in salary and benefits.

As for not knowing that Rizzo was making as much as he was. Isn't that your job as City Manager???

I think you are probably both a crook and an incompetent, both.

[Authentic Angeleno]

Watched the video this morning and didn't buy her story for a second.

She's gonna claim ignorance and see how far that gets her... which hopefully will be 3-to-5.

Being sorry because you got caught is not the same as being sorry for what you did.

[Diogenes]

Angela, didn't your attorney tell you not to talk to the press? If he didn't, then get a new attorney. Oh, and don't talk to the press.

[OneOfMany]

I would like to know if there is some way to NOT have their excessive compensation included in their pension calculation. If she is truly sorry, she'll give up the future gain to repay the city.

[My view means nothing]

If she says it enough times she'll believe it. Than she'll start saying "There's no place like home. There's no place like home...."

[bryan]

YES.... YOU ARE A PIG!!! AN UGLY PIG! AND AN UGLY PERSON.
I wish this fat ugly PIG, and her HOG friends were publicly punished in the city square. Like the early days of our government. Put em in stocks and give em 100 lashes. Brand them with a big tatto on their faces that says...
I AM A PIG! AND A HOG! SLAUGHTER ME PLEASE.

Now then. Who is next? Where are you? We are all coming after you pigs.
Where ever you think you can hide, is where we will find you and you will be brought to justice and when you are in jail getting treated the way you treated the public, you will know Karma. I pray!

[Dert McGert]

Here piggy piggy, sqqqqqquuuueeeeaaallll!

[Steve]

Not a pig? Correct she is not a pig, she is a SOW

[Joe]

What about saying, "I will return the money to the people of Bell?"

[Oscar]

She says she is NOT a pig, but a HOG she is and you know what happens to HOGS...

[Polomoche]

I had no idea I was making nearly $400,000 a year as an assistant city manager! Betrayal!

[youareuniquelikeeveryoneelse]

How do you know when this woman is lying? When she opens her mouth