Times sues L.A. Coliseum Commission

The Times has filed suit against the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, accusing it of violating the state's open meeting law by secretly deliberating a lease with USC for the landmark stadium.

The Times, which is joined in the lawsuit by 1st Amendment group Californians Aware, says the commission also has violated the state Public Records Act, according to Times staff writers Rong-Gong  Lin II and Paul Pringle. 

Lin and Pringle have been reporting on financial irregularities at the Coliseum since early 2011. Six people have now been indicted in the scandal -- three former officials, two rave promoters and a stadium contractor. In May, the commission voted to turn control of the Coliseum over to USC.

The Times suit seeks a new vote and asks the court to order the commission to hold public deliberations on the stadium lease.

RELATED:

FULL COVERAGE: Coliseum under scrutiny

DOCUMENT: The lawsuit

--Deirdre Edgar

 Photo: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Jeremy]

You guys have been doing a great job on this story - except with the City Council and County members that were supposed to be watching over the commission, like Bernard Parks or Zev Yaroslavsky (who keeps being promoted as mayor of LA, while he seemed unable to watch over the Coliseum or notice what was happening as a board member).

Are they also reaping the benefits? Why were they asleep at the wheel? Come on, dig!

[Dave]

I can't agree more with Jeremy's comment. Bernard Parks and his son need to be investigated based on the Times' own previous reports.