The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday that law enforcement officials raided 11 locations in Huntington Park, California, including the mayor’s residence, the residences of multiple current and former city council members, and the city hall building, as part of a “public corruption probe” into a $14 million project.
In a Wednesday press release, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said that search warrants were executed at 11 locations linked to “Operation Dirty Pond.” The press release explained that the “public corruption probe” was launched in November of 2022 to investigate the “potential misuse of millions of dollars” allocated for an aquatic center that was supposed to be constructed at the city’s Salt Lake Park.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that “numerous items were seized from each location” raided by law enforcement officials, including computers, cell phones, tablets, financial paperwork, public records, and other equipment.
“My office is committed to ensuring that public officials uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity and transparency,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “When concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of those in office, it is our duty to investigate thoroughly and protect the public’s trust.”
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Hochman added, “I want to commend our dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their diligent work on this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one – regardless of their position or title – is above the law.”
According to Fox News, the Huntington Park Regional Aquatic Center was initially planned to feature an Olympic-size pool, a football field, a gym, multiple conference rooms, and other amenities. However, Huntington Park Vice Mayor Arturo Flores told Fox 11 that the roughly $14 million dollar project was not completed.
“This is a project that has yielded nothing for the residents,” Flores said. “It’s my understanding that there’s an estimated $14 million, give or take, that has been expended by the city, and that from those funds, the residents of the city have only received an empty lot with dead grass and nothing to show for those millions of dollars.”
Linda Caraballo, a former Huntington Park city council member, claimed that the city’s corruption is widespread and that “big time city officials from the city manager all the way down to the shot caller” should be prepared to face investigation.
