Robert Rizzo ordered Bell salary documents falsified, city clerk testifies
Bell's city clerk testified Thursday that former City Administrator Robert Rizzo directed her to hand over false figures about council salaries to a resident who asked for the information.
Testimony from Rebecca Valdez came during the preliminary hearing for six former and current Bell City Council members accused of being paid for serving on city boards that seldom or never met -- or, when they did, for just a few minutes.
The resident who requested the information, Roger Ramirez, had filed a public records request in 2008. The document indicates that council members received $673 a month -- about $8,000 a year – instead of the $92,000 annually they received when including salaries from city boards and commissions.
Valdez testified that after Ramirez made his request, she copied council members' personal action reports, which gave their true salaries.
"When I showed it to [Rizzo] for review, he didn't want me to give that to them," Valdez said.
She said Rizzo called Lourdes Garcia, the city's finance director, into his office. Valdez left, and Garcia later gave her the memo with the false information.
The memo also vastly underreported Rizzo's salary. It said he was being paid $15,478 a month, or $185,736 a year. At the time, he was earning $632,700 a year, not counting the numerous weeks of vacation and sick pay he cashed out annually.
Rizzo has been charged with falsifying public records to keep his lucrative salary secret. His preliminary hearing could start next week. He faces more than 50 corruption charges.
RELATED:
DA offers limited immunity to city clerk in public corruption case
-- Jeff Gottlieb and Corina Knoll (@corinaknoll)
Photo: Rebecca Valdez in 2010. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Organized crime! Turn on a bright light and you'll find them running for a rock to hide under all over the country!
Posted by: DrJJJ | February 10, 2011 at 02:22 PM
Rizzo and all the other rats in Amerika; the wallstreeters, banksters, warmongers, AIPAC shills, I.D. thieves, con-men and bribers should see this as a wake-up call. I hope he's in Jail for more than 15 years and all his assets forfeited.
I hope this sends the message.
Posted by: meggafish | February 10, 2011 at 02:39 PM
Never cross a city clerk!!!!
Posted by: jay | February 10, 2011 at 02:41 PM
Costa Mesa falsifies their traffic survey report (required when radar or laser is used for speed enforcement) I have 3 copies all the same but with the date and signature line altered, looking forward to Costa Mesa being prosecuted under RICO for fraud, doing radar enforcement on Harbor Blvd. where they do not have the required postings under DOT regs. But the point is, city governments falsify documents or just lie and say they are not available all the time, they resent public inquiry.
Posted by: ergie | February 10, 2011 at 02:41 PM
Might want to put Rebecca Valdez under witness protection, or make her move to some other state, under an assumed name.
Posted by: Michael | February 10, 2011 at 02:43 PM
what a waste of carbon.
Posted by: Peter | February 10, 2011 at 02:45 PM
When does the investigation of L.A. begin? The council members with their slush funds, the mayor and his staff of 100+, all of the perks and graft.
L.A. will make Bell look like Mayberry...
Posted by: Savant- Idiot | February 10, 2011 at 02:48 PM
Well done - Ratso Rizzo!
Posted by: Wolfy | February 10, 2011 at 02:50 PM
When do they intend to investigate the Los Angeles city council members? Like one who has a building dedicated to him in his name that the tax payers paid for...Or better yet the $174,000 a year paychecks for part time work.. Or the gifts and bennies they receive that are not logged... Like our own mayor...
Posted by: Bernie Miller | February 10, 2011 at 02:52 PM
And shame on all you who took Rizzo's side when he was outed at the surfing museum parking lot attendant. Now you see what scum he is.
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer | February 10, 2011 at 03:02 PM
How much was the Clerk being paid? In these local government salary ripoffs, they're all guilty of hiding their real salaries from the public in order to keep up the propaganda that they're underpaid. Why didn't she refuse to submit the false document for Rizzo?
Posted by: Stop Hypocrisy | February 10, 2011 at 03:13 PM
,,,,,and the plot thickens
Posted by: wasp | February 10, 2011 at 03:18 PM
That is sickning
Posted by: Canyon Ed | February 10, 2011 at 03:26 PM
I bet this is not the only city that is doing this either...PLUS I hope none of these criminal political office holders are receive anymore tax money or city money again.
Posted by: Jorge | February 10, 2011 at 03:26 PM
Liars, thieves & (political) whores... 'nuff said.
Posted by: Mean-Green | February 10, 2011 at 03:27 PM
Rizzo should be where Bernie Madoff is but in an economy suite! Cheat, liar, thief, and numerous other adjectives I can't use here!
The taxpayers of Bell and all these other cities with thieves at the helm work hard, and the politicians party, travel, and lie, cheat and steal their way to retirement that is outrageous too.
What do we think our forefathers might have done with these people?
Posted by: watchitgo | February 10, 2011 at 03:47 PM
finish off investigations at the city level and work their way up....corruption throughout all levels of government.....time for some major changes.
Posted by: chuck | February 10, 2011 at 03:54 PM
These people are worst than mafias and thugs. Scum
Posted by: Reiz | February 10, 2011 at 03:55 PM
The Romans knew how to deal with public corruption cases they would feed the bastereds to the lions.
Posted by: john h moore | February 10, 2011 at 04:05 PM
So, when do Lourdes Garcia and Rebecca Valdez get charged?I want these people charged, fined and jailed. Unconscionable actions and illegal to boot.
Posted by: RedDonnaAnn | February 10, 2011 at 04:07 PM
And what were/are Garcia and Valdez's salaries?
Posted by: RedDonnaAnn | February 10, 2011 at 04:08 PM
This is sick! These people should be put away for decades! They should have all Pension Benefits and Health Benefits stripped.
This is blatent fraud, misuse of public funds, and damn near racketerring. I'm curious how he reported it on their tax returns.
Posted by: Disinterested Bystander | February 10, 2011 at 04:10 PM
Roast that fat pig over an open fire
Posted by: Stan | February 10, 2011 at 04:13 PM
You should see what the Costa Mesa City Council Is doing. There doing the people of costa mesa an injustice.
Posted by: Bill | February 10, 2011 at 04:17 PM
Put him in JAIL FOR LIFE and SEIZE ALL HIS ASSETS!!!!
Make the 6 council members pay back every penny they got that's over the $8k/yr they were supposed to get + penalties/interest and jail them for a few years!!
Posted by: timmytight | February 10, 2011 at 04:21 PM