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Politics Jan 06, 2024
LA Councilman Curren Price. | Photo courtesy of Eric Garcetti/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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By Jose Herrera
Several clergy groups and community organizations plan to show their support for 9th District City Councilman Curren Price on Monday when he is scheduled to be arraigned on corruption charges.
Members of Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, Experience Christian Ministries, South Central United and other groups are expected to be at the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles in support of Price, who was charged last year with theft by embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest for allegedly voting on projects involving developers tied to his wife’s consulting firm, then failing to report the connections.
“He’s innocent until proven guilty, and he has vehemently denied the allegations,” Pastor William Smart, president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, told City News Service. “He’s been someone for the community.”
Smart said he and allies will be there Monday to show their love and support for the councilman.
The case was filed last June against Price, with his arraignment being postponed at least four times since then. Price has continued to defend himself and deny the allegations.
Smart reiterated that Price is a “champion of the people,” and that “we have to stand by our champions because they speak for us and now, Monday, we have to speak up and show up for him.”
SCLC, whose first president was the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., has several offices scattered throughout Price’s 9th District, which encompasses most of South Los Angeles.
“We were fighting for rights, and against white supremacy, against militarism and against poverty,” Smart said. “That’s what we’ve been fighting for even today.”
Smart noted that’s how he feels about the situation with Price — the allegations are an issue of justice and ensuring the Ninth District has a voice at the City Council.
“This is not a great time for African American elected officials in LA because of what recently happened to another city councilman,” Smart said. “It’s time to really stand behind him and the work that he has done from immigration, parks, cleaning the streets, economic development and the things that he has stood for.”
According to the criminal complaint, between 2019 and 2021, Price’s wife’s consulting firm Del Richardson & Associates received payments totaling more than $150,000 from a pair of developers, after which Price voted on matters pertaining to the companies. He also allegedly failed to report the connections or the money paid to his wife’s company on city disclosure forms.
“Today’s charges against Councilman Curren Price are the result of a thorough investigation into allegations of public corruption,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement when Price was charged June 13.
“This alleged conduct undermines the integrity of our government and erodes the public’s trust in our elected officials. We will continue to work tirelessly to root out corruption at all levels and hold accountable those who betray the public’s trust.”
Price is the fourth Los Angeles council member to face charges in recent years. Former council members Jose Huizar and Mitch Englander both pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Former Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is Black and represented the adjacent 10th District, was convicted last year of federal charges for trading votes during his time on the county Board of Supervisors in exchange for benefits provided by USC to his son.
Smart emphasized that he hopes the charges will be dropped and the councilman is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Maria Espinosa, a member of Mamas del Sur Centro, a group of mothers advocating on behalf of their South Los Angeles communities, said they’ve been doing the work to better lives for about 14 years. She noted that they found a leader in Price, who has supported not only their group but others as well.
“I hope all goes well because we want him to continue to represent all of us in District 9,” Espinosa said.
Though some individuals and groups support Price, others also continue to call for his suspension from the City Council.
On June 17, 2023, Adriana Cabrera, president of Central Alameda Neighborhood Council, along side Alberto Tlatoa, executive director of South Central Farm Restoration Committee, Yesenia Morales, founder of Corazon de SurCentro, and Hugo Rodriguez, a South Los Angeles community organizer, held a news conference to demand Price resign.
Later, June 23, when the City Council’s Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee agendized whether to suspend Price, Cabrera advocated for his suspension.
Cabrera, who finished last in a field of three candidates in 2017 with 14% of the vote as Price was reelected to a second term with 63%, said Price’s leadership has benefited developers and impacted renters who make up 70% of the district.
“We ask that the City Council suspend Price and puts the interest of our South Central District 9 community first over Curren Price’s personal legal matters,” Cabrera said during the committee meeting.
Ultimately, the committee took no action and has since then waited for an outcome at Price’s court hearing before taking up the matter again.
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