>Speaking of which, what's happening with labor in LA? Fitch says it's
>imploding - indictments & plea bargains all the way to the top. I
>haven't seen anything.
Martin Ludlow resigned yesterday. The dollar amount in question, 53K, is small, but it turned out to be a public career busting mistake. The plea agreement bans Ludlow from holding public office or a union position for more than ten years. Here's the beginning of today's Los Angeles Times story and a link to an LA Weekly article from 2/8/06 with more background.
February 22, 2006
In a dramatic fall from a position of political influence, former Los Angeles City Councilman Martin Ludlow announced his resignation Tuesday as head of a powerful Southern California labor group and was close to reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors who believe union money flowed illegally to his council campaign.
A veteran political figure and close confidant of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ludlow served just eight months as executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor after resigning his council post to fill the union void left by the unexpected death last May of his mentor, Miguel Contreras.
http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lawcontent&task=view&id=12598&Itemid=47#Continuation