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Ramon Medina spent eight years achieving his small-town political dream and about half of that time tarnishing it.
After winning a seat on the Maywood City Council in 2015, Medina was engulfed in scandals.
He voted on issues that raised questions of conflict of interest, including a 2016
caught growing marijuana as he pushed for a cannabis ordinance at City Hall. The following year, his home and auto shop were part of an anti-corruption raid.
Undaunted, he ran for reelection in November but lost.
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That Medina believed he had a chance of being reelected despite the controversies swirling around him might seem like a surprise. But he was a politician in one of a warren of small cities in southeast Los Angeles County where scandals have long festered and weren’t always a knockout against political ambitions.
This tiny California city has been rocked by corruption scandals Will charges bring change? msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Former California mayor charged in corruption probe
“No one is above the law. Public officials should be working to benefit the people, not their own bank account.”
Accused of soliciting bribes over a three-year period, former Maywood Mayor Ramon Medina and 10 others were charged Thursday in a 34-count complaint alleging widespread corruption. In addition to the former mayor, ex-City Manager Reuben Martinez and former city planning director David Mango have also been charged with multiple counts of grand theft and embezzlement.
Between September 2016 and June 2018, Medina, Martinez, and Mango allegedly authorized contractor Felipe Velarde to complete construction projects for Medina’s friends and supporters using public funds. The city paid Velarde $1.53 million during that time, while he used public funds to perform repair work at Mango’s home in Studio City.
Eleven Charged In 34-Count Complaint Alleging Widespread Corruption
STUDIO CITY On Thursday, February 4, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that the former mayor of Maywood and 10 other individuals are being charged in a 34-count complaint alleging widespread corruption that includes receiving and soliciting bribes, misappropriation of public funds, and embezzlement over a three-year period.
“No one is above the law. Public officials should be working to benefit the people, not their own bank accounts,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “Pay-to-play politics have no place in Los Angeles County and we are all deserving of a clean government.”