Latest news with #HuntingtonParkCityCouncil
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huntington Park City Council fills seat of former member suing over her removal
The Huntington Park City Council has chosen a local civil service commissioner to replace former Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo, whose seat was declared vacant after a probe determined she was not living in the city. Wednesday's appointment comes several days after a California appeals court issued a stay on a Los Angeles Superior Court judge's restraining order that had prevented the city from filling the seat. Castillo requested the restraining order as part of a civil lawsuit she filed against the city in February, in which she claims she was illegally removed from office. Her attorney, Albert Robles, said he was not surprised about the appointment — and claimed the city was violating his client's due process rights. 'Judge Barbara A. Meiers of the Los Angeles County Superior Court directly and unequivocally cautioned the City Council not to appoint a replacement and if they did so, it would be 'at their own peril,'' he said in a written statement. 'Yet despite this judicial warning, and despite multiple members of the public attempting to alert the City Council during public comment, they proceeded in known defiance.' Read more: In scandal-plagued Huntington Park, the abrupt ouster of a council member raises alarms Huntington Park officials said they're committed to due process and transparency. They also say they respect Castillo's right to seek judicial review of the council's decision. 'However, it is important to clarify that the council's action to declare the seat vacant was taken in accordance with longstanding state and municipal laws, which require elected officials to live in the city while serving in public office,' the statement read. "This determination followed public complaints and an independent investigation conducted by the Huntington Park Police Department. The investigation — based on documentation, verified evidence, and witness statements — substantiated that the former councilmember no longer resides in the [city]." By appointing a new council member, Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores said the city was upholding its laws and the interests of its citizens. 'Any attempt to discredit this legal process is an attack on our democratic institutions and we must not stand for it,' he said. At least 29 candidates sought to fill the vacant seat. The council's eventual pick was Nancy Martiz, a member of the Huntington Park Civil Service Commission that advises the city on equitable hiring practices. Her biography posted on the city's website says she "brings a strong community foundation and over 15 years of public and private sector experience to the Council." Martiz, according to the city, graduated from South Gate High School in 2004 and holds a double bachelor's degree in government and American studies from Smith College. She also earned a master's degree in public administration and policy from Cal State Long Beach and has worked for the South Gate city attorney's office and Los Angeles mayor's office, according to her bio. Martiz could not immediately be reached for comment. Her appointment is the latest wrinkle in the ongoing legal dispute over Castillo's controversial removal from office on Feb. 18, when the results of the city's residency investigation were revealed to civic leaders in a closed-door meeting. The council subsequently declared her seat vacant on Feb. 24 and sought candidates to replace her. Two days later, investigators with the L.A. County district attorney's office executed search warrants at the homes of then-Mayor Karina Macias, Councilman Eduardo 'Eddie' Martinez and City Manager Ricardo Reyes. Search warrants were also executed at the homes of two former council members, a contractor and a consultant. The warrants were part of what's been dubbed Operation Dirty Pond, a probe into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds allocated for a $24-million aquatic center that hasn't been built. No one has been charged. Read more: Huntington Park was promised a $24-million pool complex. It was never built. Where did the money go? Robles said Castillo's removal was not only unlawful but politically motivated, because she had filed a formal complaint with the city against three council members and the city manager. 'Here, defendants not only acted as judge, jury and executioner, but to further highlight defendants' self-directed unjust political power grab, [they] also conducted the investigation,' Castillo alleged in her suit. Andrew Sarega, the attorney who was hired to oversee the city's inquiry, said Huntington Park police investigators looked into Castillo's residency months before she filed her grievance. He said a complaint was also filed in August with the L.A. County district attorney's office, which declined to take the case after it determined the issue was a civil matter, not a criminal one, according to an email obtained by The Times. Huntington Park authorities say they launched their investigation into Castillo in November, after the city manager received complaints alleging she was not living in the city. Read more: 'It's a tale as old as time': Huntington Park residents lambaste leaders over corruption probe The investigation included surveillance, court-approved GPS tracking and search warrants at Castillo's Huntington Park apartment and her parents' home in South Gate. Investigators also interviewed five witnesses, including Castillo, according to Sarega. He said investigators tracked Castillo's vehicle for a month in January and found that she had only stayed at the Huntington Park apartment once. Someone else was living there, but Castillo had mail sent there, too, Sarega said. Robles said his client had been caring for her ailing parents while maintaining a full-time residence in Huntington Park, which he said is permitted under state and city election laws. Meiers, the Superior Court judge, issued a restraining order against the city on April 4 — prompting officials to file an appeal. California's 2nd District Court of Appeal granted the stay this week, just days before the city's 60-day deadline to fill the seat and avoid what would have been a costly special election. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Park City Council fills seat of former member suing over her removal
The Huntington Park City Council has chosen a local civil service commissioner to replace former Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo, whose seat was declared vacant after a probe determined she was not living in the city. Wednesday's appointment comes several days after a California appeals court issued a stay on a Los Angeles Superior Court judge's restraining order that had prevented the city from filling the seat. Castillo requested the restraining order as part of a civil lawsuit she filed against the city in February, in which she claims she was illegally removed from office. Her attorney, Albert Robles, said he was not surprised about the appointment — and claimed the city was violating his client's due process rights. 'Judge Barbara A. Meiers of the Los Angeles County Superior Court directly and unequivocally cautioned the City Council not to appoint a replacement and if they did so, it would be 'at their own peril,'' he said in a written statement. 'Yet despite this judicial warning, and despite multiple members of the public attempting to alert the City Council during public comment, they proceeded in known defiance.' Huntington Park officials said they're committed to due process and transparency. They also say they respect Castillo's right to seek judicial review of the council's decision. 'However, it is important to clarify that the council's action to declare the seat vacant was taken in accordance with longstanding state and municipal laws, which require elected officials to live in the city while serving in public office,' the statement read. 'This determination followed public complaints and an independent investigation conducted by the Huntington Park Police Department. The investigation — based on documentation, verified evidence, and witness statements — substantiated that the former councilmember no longer resides in the [city].' By appointing a new council member, Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores said the city was upholding its laws and the interests of its citizens. 'Any attempt to discredit this legal process is an attack on our democratic institutions and we must not stand for it,' he said. At least 29 candidates sought to fill the vacant seat. The council's eventual pick was Nancy Martiz, a member of the Huntington Park Civil Service Commission that advises the city on equitable hiring practices. Her biography posted on the city's website says she 'brings a strong community foundation and over 15 years of public and private sector experience to the Council.' Martiz, according to the city, graduated from South Gate High School in 2004 and holds a double bachelor's degree in government and American studies from Smith College. She also earned a master's degree in public administration and policy from Cal State Long Beach and has worked for the South Gate city attorney's office and Los Angeles mayor's office, according to her bio. Martiz could not immediately be reached for comment. Her appointment is the latest wrinkle in the ongoing legal dispute over Castillo's controversial removal from office on Feb. 18, when the results of the city's residency investigation were revealed to civic leaders in a closed-door meeting. The council subsequently declared her seat vacant on Feb. 24 and sought candidates to replace her. Two days later, investigators with the L.A. County district attorney's office executed search warrants at the homes of then-Mayor Karina Macias, Councilman Eduardo 'Eddie' Martinez and City Manager Ricardo Reyes. Search warrants were also executed at the homes of two former council members, a contractor and a consultant. The warrants were part of what's been dubbed Operation Dirty Pond, a probe into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds allocated for a $24-million aquatic center that hasn't been built. No one has been charged. Robles said Castillo's removal was not only unlawful but politically motivated, because she had filed a formal complaint with the city against three council members and the city manager. 'Here, defendants not only acted as judge, jury and executioner, but to further highlight defendants' self-directed unjust political power grab, [they] also conducted the investigation,' Castillo alleged in her suit. Andrew Sarega, the attorney who was hired to oversee the city's inquiry, said Huntington Park police investigators looked into Castillo's residency months before she filed her grievance. He said a complaint was also filed in August with the L.A. County district attorney's office, which declined to take the case after it determined the issue was a civil matter, not a criminal one, according to an email obtained by The Times. Huntington Park authorities say they launched their investigation into Castillo in November, after the city manager received complaints alleging she was not living in the city. The investigation included surveillance, court-approved GPS tracking and search warrants at Castillo's Huntington Park apartment and her parents' home in South Gate. Investigators also interviewed five witnesses, including Castillo, according to Sarega. He said investigators tracked Castillo's vehicle for a month in January and found that she had only stayed at the Huntington Park apartment once. Someone else was living there, but Castillo had mail sent there, too, Sarega said. Robles said his client had been caring for her ailing parents while maintaining a full-time residence in Huntington Park, which he said is permitted under state and city election laws. Meiers, the Superior Court judge, issued a restraining order against the city on April 4 — prompting officials to file an appeal. California's 2nd District Court of Appeal granted the stay this week, just days before the city's 60-day deadline to fill the seat and avoid what would have been a costly special election.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In scandal-plagued Huntington Park, the abrupt ouster of a council member raises alarms
In February, the Huntington Park City Council met behind closed doors to discuss a seemingly routine item on their agenda — potential litigation the city was anticipating. Everyone on the council was allowed to attend the meeting but one — then-Councilmember Esmerelda Castillo. Barred from the closed-door discussion, the 22-year-old was later seen on camera picking up her things from the dais and making a quiet exit. When the council met again a week later, Castillo was no longer listed as a member. On the agenda instead was an item to fill her seat. As Castillo would come to learn, the city had quietly launched an investigation to determine if she was a city resident and concluded she was not, kicking her off the council — all without her knowledge. While residency requirements for municipal seats are common, Huntington Park's move to investigate one of its own council members, then remove her unilaterally, is virtually unprecedented, experts say. "I've never heard of a city doing it that way. There's always someone complaining to the district attorney, usually from an opponent," said Steve Cooley, who oversaw about a dozen residency cases during his time as Los Angeles County's top prosecutor. Two weeks ago, in response to a lawsuit filed by Castillo against the city, the council and the city manager, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Huntington Park from filling the vacant seat. Castillo's removal from office has angered residents in this scandal-plagued city. Amid the ongoing legal fight to regain her seat, several current and former council members are embroiled in a corruption probe with the D.A.'s office over the alleged misuse of public funds. On Feb. 26, D.A. investigators executed search warrants as part of "Operation Dirty Pond," a probe into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds allocated for a $24-million aquatic center that hasn't been built. No one has been charged. The search warrants were executed at the homes of then-Mayor Karina Macias, Councilman Eduardo 'Eddie' Martinez and City Manager Ricardo Reyes. Search warrants were also executed at the homes of two former council members, a contractor and a consultant. Altogether, the turmoil is making Huntington Park residents weary. "I feel sad, defrauded, angry and powerless," said Maria Hernandez, 50, a longtime Huntington Park resident who attended last week's court hearing to support the former councilwoman. Castillo declined to be interviewed for this story, but her attorney, Albert Robles, said his client has been caring for her ailing parents while maintaining a full-time residence in Huntington Park, which he said is permitted under state and city election laws. He said Castillo's removal was politically motivated. 'Here, defendants not only acted as judge, jury and executioner, but to further highlight defendants' self-directed unjust political power grab, [they] also conducted the investigation,' Castillo alleges in her suit. The city notified Castillo via letter she'd been investigated and removed from the council as a non-resident but did not allow her to attend the Feb. 18 closed-door meeting when the results of the probe were discussed, Robles said. He claimed it was retaliation for Castillo accusing the members of bullying and harassment in a formal complaint to the city in January. But Andrew Sarega, whom the city hired to oversee its investigation into Castillo, disputed those claims and said the probe into Castillo began months before she filed her grievance. He said a complaint was filed in August with the district attorney's Public Integrity Division, which looks into criminal allegations made against public officials. According to an email obtained by The Times, the D.A.'s office declined to take the case, saying the matter was civil, not criminal. That put the case back in the lap of Huntington Park authorities, who looked at the city's municipal code that says when a mayor or council member moves out of the city or leaves office, their seat "shall immediately become vacant." 'It doesn't say you have to go to court, you don't have to do X, Y and Z; that's what the black letter law says,' Sarega said. 'And so, based on the investigation and everything that had been discovered that seat was deemed vacant.' Scott Cummings, a UCLA law professor who teaches ethics, said although the council's actions may not have been best practice, it appears legally sound. 'It was her action that created the vacancy and the city council had no obligation to vote on anything necessarily because it's an automatic trigger,' he said. 'But it all boils down as to whether or not it's true, and it does seem like a full investigation with transparency is in order.' Cooley, who created the D.A.'s Public Integrity Division that looks into potential wrongdoing by public officials, agreed with Cummings and said local and state prosecutors should take up these cases to combat the appearance of conflict. The city launched its investigation into Castillo in November, after the city manager heard multiple complaints alleging Castillo did not live in the city, Sarega said. The investigation included surveillance, court-approved GPS tracking, and search warrants at her Huntington Park apartment and parents' home in South Gate. Investigators also interviewed five witnesses, including Castillo, according to Sarega. He said investigators tracked Castillo's vehicle for a month in January and found that she had stayed at the Huntington Park apartment only once. Someone else was living there, but she had mail sent there too, Sarega said. The Times visited the former councilwoman's apartment for several days in February with no one answering the door. Most neighbors in the area said they had not seen Castillo when shown photos of her. Robles, Castillo's attorney, disputed the city's allegations. In a declaration to support the restraining order against the city, Castillo wrote that she moved into the Huntington Park apartment near Saturn Avenue and Malabar Street after the owner of the house her family was renting planned to use it for their own family. "My neighbors across the street," she wrote, "whom I have known most of my life and considered family, offered to allow me to stay in a room in their home, until I could afford my own apartment." She wrote that her parents moved to South Gate, where she started visiting frequently because her mother's health had worsened, requiring more visits to a physician and a specialist. She said that included overnight stays. Robles said regardless of which city his client lives in, she was never given due process guaranteed under California law. He worried that a ruling against his client could set precedent for cities across the state who may take similar actions when dealing with cases in which an elected official is being accused of not living in their city. "If you don't think other cities are going to do it, you're mistaken," he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
In scandal-plagued Huntington Park, the abrupt ouster of a council member raises alarms
In February, the Huntington Park City Council met behind closed doors to discuss a seemingly routine item on their agenda — potential litigation the city was anticipating. Everyone on the council was allowed to attend the meeting but one — then-Councilmember Esmerelda Castillo. Barred from the closed-door discussion, the 22-year-old was later seen on camera picking up her things from the dais and making a quiet exit. When the council met again a week later, Castillo was no longer listed as a member. On the agenda instead was an item to fill her seat. As Castillo would come to learn, the city had quietly launched an investigation to determine if she was a city resident and concluded she was not, kicking her off the council — all without her knowledge. While residency requirements for municipal seats are common, Huntington Park's move to investigate one of its own council members, then remove her unilaterally, is virtually unprecedented, experts say. 'I've never heard of a city doing it that way. There's always someone complaining to the district attorney, usually from an opponent,' said Steve Cooley, who oversaw about a dozen residency cases during his time as Los Angeles County's top prosecutor. Two weeks ago, in response to a lawsuit filed by Castillo against the city, the council and the city manager, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Huntington Park from filling the vacant seat. Castillo's removal from office has angered residents in this scandal-plagued city. Amid the ongoing legal fight to regain her seat, several current and former council members are embroiled in a corruption probe with the D.A.'s office over the alleged misuse of public funds. On Feb. 26, D.A. investigators executed search warrants as part of 'Operation Dirty Pond,' a probe into the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds allocated for a $24-million aquatic center that hasn't been built. No one has been charged. The search warrants were executed at the homes of then-Mayor Karina Macias, Councilman Eduardo 'Eddie' Martinez and City Manager Ricardo Reyes. Search warrants were also executed at the homes of two former council members, a contractor and a consultant. Altogether, the turmoil is making Huntington Park residents weary. 'I feel sad, defrauded, angry and powerless,' said Maria Hernandez, 50, a longtime Huntington Park resident who attended last week's court hearing to support the former councilwoman. Castillo declined to be interviewed for this story, but her attorney, Albert Robles, said his client has been caring for her ailing parents while maintaining a full-time residence in Huntington Park, which he said is permitted under state and city election laws. He said Castillo's removal was politically motivated. 'Here, defendants not only acted as judge, jury and executioner, but to further highlight defendants' self-directed unjust political power grab, [they] also conducted the investigation,' Castillo alleges in her suit. The city notified Castillo via letter she'd been investigated and removed from the council as a non-resident but did not allow her to attend the Feb. 18 closed-door meeting when the results of the probe were discussed, Robles said. He claimed it was retaliation for Castillo accusing the members of bullying and harassment in a formal complaint to the city in January. But Andrew Sarega, whom the city hired to oversee its investigation into Castillo, disputed those claims and said the probe into Castillo began months before she filed her grievance. He said a complaint was filed in August with the district attorney's Public Integrity Division, which looks into criminal allegations made against public officials. According to an email obtained by The Times, the D.A.'s office declined to take the case, saying the matter was civil, not criminal. That put the case back in the lap of Huntington Park authorities, who looked at the city's municipal code that says when a mayor or council member moves out of the city or leaves office, their seat 'shall immediately become vacant.' 'It doesn't say you have to go to court, you don't have to do X, Y and Z; that's what the black letter law says,' Sarega said. 'And so, based on the investigation and everything that had been discovered that seat was deemed vacant.' Scott Cummings, a UCLA law professor who teaches ethics, said although the council's actions may not have been best practice, it appears legally sound. 'It was her action that created the vacancy and the city council had no obligation to vote on anything necessarily because it's an automatic trigger,' he said. 'But it all boils down as to whether or not it's true, and it does seem like a full investigation with transparency is in order.' Cooley, who created the D.A.'s Public Integrity Division that looks into potential wrongdoing by public officials, agreed with Cummings and said local and state prosecutors should take up these cases to combat the appearance of conflict. The city launched its investigation into Castillo in November, after the city manager heard multiple complaints alleging Castillo did not live in the city, Sarega said. The investigation included surveillance, court-approved GPS tracking, and search warrants at her Huntington Park apartment and parents' home in South Gate. Investigators also interviewed five witnesses, including Castillo, according to Sarega. He said investigators tracked Castillo's vehicle for a month in January and found that she had stayed at the Huntington Park apartment only once. Someone else was living there, but she had mail sent there too, Sarega said. The Times visited the former councilwoman's apartment for several days in February with no one answering the door. Most neighbors in the area said they had not seen Castillo when shown photos of her. Robles, Castillo's attorney, disputed the city's allegations. In a declaration to support the restraining order against the city, Castillo wrote that she moved into the Huntington Park apartment near Saturn Avenue and Malabar Street after the owner of the house her family was renting planned to use it for their own family. 'My neighbors across the street,' she wrote, 'whom I have known most of my life and considered family, offered to allow me to stay in a room in their home, until I could afford my own apartment.' She wrote that her parents moved to South Gate, where she started visiting frequently because her mother's health had worsened, requiring more visits to a physician and a specialist. She said that included overnight stays. Robles said regardless of which city his client lives in, she was never given due process guaranteed under California law. He worried that a ruling against his client could set precedent for cities across the state who may take similar actions when dealing with cases in which an elected official is being accused of not living in their city. 'If you don't think other cities are going to do it, you're mistaken,' he said.
