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U.S. Attorney Debra Yang has shocked City Hall and given her corruption probe a newly threatening edge by formally asking that every email to and from Mayor Jim Hahn and his staff since he took office in 2001 be preserved pending possible subpoena. Friday's Times and Daily News say that City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo sent letters to Hahn and each member of the City Council instructing them to comply. The mayor's office vowed to cooperate, but the scope of the request can't be good news for Hahn, who faces a reelection campaign while questions pile up about the ethics of his administration. Think of it: every email between Hahn or aides and his political appointees on the commissions -- and outside adviser Fleishman-Hillard -- concerning political strategy, rivals, fundraising, personnel and the fight to defeat secession in 2002 might soon be in the hands of federal prosecutors.
Reaction in the Times:
"It's terribly serious," said Councilman Jack Weiss, who once served in the U.S. attorney's anti-corruption unit and is a frequent Hahn critic. "It means federal authorities are going through the operations of the mayor's office with a fine-tooth comb."..."It really signals that the prosecutors have an ongoing interest in the mayor's office," said George B. Newhouse Jr., former deputy chief of the public corruption unit in the Los Angeles office of the U.S. attorney...
In the Daily News:
"Even though it's just a request to preserve documents, I think it means the mayor's office is under a microscope," Weiss said. "The U.S. Attorney's Office does not conduct fishing expeditions."This tells me that professional criminal investigators believe the e-mails might contain some evidence of a crime. I think they are doing this while they refine their requests for specific information."
I have to believe that with this news, at least one more Hahn rival has nudged closer to deciding that now is the time to strike and run against the incumbent in next year's election.
I think you might be wrong. Yang is a hardcore Republican, very active with the party, and this is a familiar blueprint for a powerplay by now: besiege a Democrat from one side, rescue from another. I would not be surprised if we see a bigtime outsider Republican enter the race in a short while, even while contractors and the Mayor are retaining counsel.
Posted by: joseph at April 16, 2004 12:16 PMSo, would the consensus be that Hahn is toast as far as a second term goes?
Posted by: ben at April 16, 2004 05:47 PMHe's wounded, but he's not toast yet.
As weak a personality as Hahn is, there's no standout challenger. Parks is tainted by Rampart. Hertzberg was missing in action during the energy crisis. Alarcon is a lightweight. Chick is a featherweight(although she can generate headlines out of the controller's office, she'll have trouble raising money.) Delgadillo is a paperweight. Villaraigosa is charismatic and waiting in line, but may prefer to wait a cycle rather than take on a rematch against a well-funded incumbent Hahn...
Jimmy won't have it easy. His base is undermined by various combinations of the above throwing their hats in the ring, and shredded if they all jump in. And if the current investigations turn up any real malfeasance then it's all over for him.
But absent that, he shouldn't be counted out. He's sitting on a lot of cash, has a very capable campaign team, and in a history of surprising people who underestimate him...
Posted by: TwoCents at April 16, 2004 09:31 PM
Interesting comment from Joseph on the political angle of a GOP US attorney investigating the Democratic mayor of the second largest city in the nation.
I'm trying to remember the last time ANY city hall administration was investigated by the feds...
One would think that with a Republican DA and a Democratic city attorney (with mayoral ambitions?) and a Democratic AG, there would be all sorts of places an investigation into alleged corruption might begin other than the US Attorney's office.
An interesting comparison with the Parlor Maid case.
Posted by: Brad Smith at April 17, 2004 10:59 PM
of LA Observed
Color me skeptical anyone of significance
Posted by: Chip Jacobs at April 16, 2004 09:57 AMis going to Club Fed.
We aren't exactly a hotbed of white
collar prosecution -- except south of
MLK Blvd.
Proof: the great Metro Rail train
robbery.