LA County Supervisor Solis Defends Kuehl In Face of Corruption Probe

LOS ANGELES COUNTY -- LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis today came to the defense of her colleague, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, dubbing a sheriff's department political corruption probe into Kuehl a vindictive effort to ``defame, harass and discredit'' an elected official who has been openly critical of Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

``I have concerns about the integrity of any investigation conducted by the sheriff, especially as it relates to those who have consistently called for oversight, accountability and transparency over the sheriff and his department, like my colleague, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl,'' Solis wrote in a
series of Twitter posts.

``... The sheriff has a history of vindictiveness, harassment and intimidation and has shown that he lacks the credibility to lead any pursuit of justice,'' she wrote.

Her comments echoed those made by Kuehl on Wednesday after sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at her Santa Monica home in connection with the probe -- which focuses on contracts awarded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to a nonprofit agency run by Patti Giggans, a close friend of Kuehl whose home was also searched Wednesday. Kuehl sits on the Metro Board of Directors.

Kuehl called the investigation ``an effort to harass, intimidate and retaliate against a public figure who has been an outspoken critic of L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. I am not the only such critic, and other courageous county leaders have also been the targets of this sheriff's
vindictiveness.''

Villanueva, who claims he has recused himself from the Kuehl investigation in light of his contentious relationship with the Board of Supervisors, appeared on Fox11 Wednesday night to discuss the probe and rebuffed suggestions the investigation is politically motivated.

``When we have a criminal complaint, which we did -- this originated from an employee from the MTA, a whistleblower who coincidentally just settled with the county of L.A. I believe for $750,000 for retaliation she experienced at the hands of the MTA and the county,'' the sheriff said.

Solis noted in her statement Thursday that while Villanueva claims to have recused himself from the investigation, ``the events of the last few days suggest otherwise.'' She said the sheriff should turn the investigation over to the Attorney General's Office.

In addition to the homes of Kuehl and Giggans, detectives from the sheriff's Public Corruption Unit also served warrants Wednesday at the headquarters of Peace Over Violence, the nonprofit agency run by Giggans, who also serves on the Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission that oversees the sheriff's department.

The unit also served warrants at Kuehl's office at the county Hall of Administration, the Office of the Inspector General and the headquarters of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to the sheriff's department.

According to a court affidavit filed in support of the search warrants, the case is a probe into ``an allegation of criminal conduct'' by Kuehl and three ``sole source contracts awarded to a nonprofit organization operating under the name Peace Over Violence'' to operate a sexual harassment
tip line for employees and riders on the Metro transit system.

``Between the years of 2014-2020, a series of `sole source' contracts were awarded by the MTA to the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Peace Over Violence totaling over $890,000,'' according to the affidavit. ``A sole source contract is a non-competitive procurement that allows a single supplier to fulfill the contractual obligations and requirements from, in this case, a
public entity/government contractor (MTA).''

The affidavit documents the long history of friendship between Kuehl and Giggans, noting that Kuehl officiated Giggans' wedding in 2004 when she was a state senator. It also noted that Kuehl is a member of the advisory board of Peace Over Violence and that Kuehl appointed Giggans to the Civilian Oversight Commission.

Kuehl told reporters outside her home Wednesday the investigation was ``bogus,'' suggesting it was a continuation of Villanueva's criticism and allegations of wrongdoing by the Board of Supervisors. She said she has no knowledge about the awarding of the Peace Over Violence contracts for the sexual harassment hotline.

Villanueva is in the midst of a contentious re-election campaign, squaring off in November against former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna.

Kuehl, 81, has been on the Board of Supervisors since 2014 and is stepping down from the board this year. A former actress, she also served in the state Assembly and Senate.

-- City News Service