CAN L.A. CITY HALL REALLY BE TOO FAR BEHIND? They don't mention City of L.A. in the investigation (read full investigation, below) -- BUT THE ARTICLE INDICATES MAYWOOD IS NOT THE ONLY CITY UNDER INVESTIGATION...and don't you think AAE does business in L.A. City? They boast on their website of doing business with municipalities throughout Southern California. (The City of L.A. is IN Southern California. DOH!)And AAE, Inc. sure is HOT for that Obama FEDERAL STIMULUS WORKFORCE MONEY!!! They have ALL KINDS of plans on how to help your municipality get it!
IN THE L.A. Times report, it says, "Federal prosecutors and FBI agents are investigating allegations that an engineering firm doing business in Southern California paid officials in at least one city in order to obtain contracts, according to people with direct knowledge of the investigation. [IN AT LEAST ONE CITY...means L.A. City could be one of 'em. ZD would NOT EVER bet in Vegas that L.A. City is NOT a part of this investigation.]
Moreover the article says, "Maywood's building and planning director said that he had worked undercover for the FBI for about four months that year, wearing a recording device and attending a local golf outing with AAE officials and government officials from other cities. [Los Angeles is anOTHER city...]
ZD ASSESSMENT: Although I'd like to think L.A. City Hall is caught up in this investigation, and COULD BE since it eludes other Southern California municipalities are part of the bribe allegations -- BUT, this would be more likely to involve L.A. at the COUNTY level, than L.A. City. AAE might work mostly with the smaller municipalities, not L.A. I STILL believe L.A. City Councilmembers are a little more cautious and wouldn't be on the golf course, talking shady-shenanigans with Maywood officials. We'll see.]
Allegations of bribery, envelopes filled with cash in Maywood
LA Times - January 6, 2011
Maywood is at the center of a three-year FBI bribery investigation involving an engineering contractor and several city officials, sources have told The Times.
David Mango, Maywood's former building and planning director, told The Times that while working as part of an FBI undercover operation in 2008, he twice received envelopes containing thousands of dollars in cash from an AAE executive.
The executive provided him with the money in hopes that he could ease the way for the firm to get new contracts and receive quick payment for existing ones, Mango said.
Federal prosecutors and FBI agents are investigating allegations that an engineering firm doing business in Southern California paid officials in at least one city in order to obtain contracts, according to people with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Michael Carras, an attorney for AAE, strongly denied any improper dealings with elected officials and said he had no knowledge that the firm was being investigated. Carras said his clients' interactions with elected officials and other public employees "is a matter of public record and one that is completely transparent and completely above board."
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