Los Angeles County Assesor Arrested

Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez, who has been on leave as investigators  probed allegations that his office reduced property tax assessments in exchange for campaign contributions, was arrested today, a District Attorney's Office spokeswoman said.

The arrest was made before 8:30 a.m. and will be discussed at a late-morning news conference by District Attorney Steve Cooley, said D.A. spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that an election contribution-tax reduction tradeoff scheme may have been going on for more than a decade at the assessor's office.

A county property valuation appraiser named Scott Schenter is suspected of engineering improper tax breaks for up to a decade. Schenter, who has been arrested, and faces up to 30 years in prison, told The Times that Noguez had pressured him to lower tax assessments and extract campaign contributions.

Noguez has denied wrongdoing. He has been on an unpaid leave of absence while the investigation was under way.

- City News Service

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