County of Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley
Today’s arrest of Robert Rizzo and seven others in the city of Bell scandal made for a happy day for all citizens who are frustrated and sickened by the corruption that permeates every level of government. The arrests also highlight what can be done when citizens join forces and let their voices be heard, combined with having elected an experienced prosecutor dedicated to the pursuit of justice.
The Bell scandal has more than one San Bernardino County connection. As has been well publicized, Rizzo is the former city manager of two San Bernardino County cities, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga. But the significance runs much deeper.
It has been a few short months since the outrageous salaries given to the city manager and city council members in Bell were first publicized. And although an investigation by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley had already been launched by the time the outrage grew nationwide, the period of time it took from commencement of the investigation through arrest of the perpetrators was months, not years.
If you happened to listen to KFI’s John and Ken today when they interviewed Cooley, you would have heard that his investigators and attorneys gathered very specific evidence to prove very specific crimes against very specific individuals. There are no confidential informants of dubious intent; there are no unnamed John Does being used as a means of control and intimidation; and there are no obscure accusations based on a conspiracy that would require all the planets to line up in at least three different universes in order to succeed.
In other words, what we saw today was a professional investigation conducted by qualified individuals alleging real crimes culminating in eight arrests in pursuit of justice for the citizens of Bell. It appears there was no politics involved.
Okay, so we see a very big difference in how corruption scandals are handled in San Bernardino County versus Los Angeles County. But what is the connection?
For one, like Jerry Brown, Steve Cooley is running for election. But unlike Jerry Brown, Steve Cooley is leading and expected to win so there is no need for political grandstanding. What Cooley did today is show the kind of prosecutor he really is. What he also did is show the kind of prosecutor Brown is not. And that is where the connection to San Bernardino County is at.
We must not forget that Brown showed up in San Bernardino County some months ago to assist our district attorney in filing charges in the “crime of the century.” In the seven months since he graced us with his appearance, nothing has happened except for charges being dropped and a hung jury.
All that will change after the election. Cooley will more than likely be the next Attorney General. It will be Cooley’s job to prosecute the “crime of the century” in San Bernardino County. We have witnessed first hand the precision with which he works. If he thinks Bell is “Corruption on Steroids,” wait until he deals with the corruption scandal in San Bernardino County.
The truly corrupt of San Bernardino County have a lot to fear in coming months. It looks like Cooley takes no prisoners. And that is good news for the innocent and law-abiding citizens of San Bernardino County.
Vote Cooley for CA AG on Nov 2nd.
I’ll go along with that….Cooley for California Attorney General.