A few days ago, the former Bell city manager Robert Rizzo, made infamous by drawing an $800K annual salary, surprised state prosecutors and pled no contest (the gentleman’s version of guilty). Under state law, the max he can receive is ten years. It is speculated that Rizzo’s plea was motivated by the fact that while state prosecutors were unwilling to bend and negotiate on a plea deal, federal prosecutors were willing to make adjustments. A large factor in Rizzo’s decision was that time served in state court will be included as time served for any federal time he is sentanced to.
His plea stunned not only state prosecutors, but also his co-defendents. Perhaps, none more so than his trusted assistant, Angela Spaccia, whose salary was approximately $400K a year. It seems Rizzo will testify that it was Spaccia who was the grand architect of the scheme to siphon off millions from Bell taxpayers. Although, conventional wisdom tells me that it is not common for the “architect” of any scheme to make half the amount as the subordinates. I have no pity for Spaccia in this case though. Many of you may recall her email echange with incoming Bell police chief Randy Adams which pretty much sums up the extent of the alleged corrution by city leaders:
“I am looking forward to seeing you and taking all of Bell’s money,” then-Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams wrote in a 2009 e-mail to Asst. Bell City Administrator Angela Spaccia, according to a 19-page memorandum filed by prosecutors in court Monday.
“Okay … just a share of it!!,” Adams adds, the memo shows.
Spaccia then responds to Adams with another e-mail:
“LOL … well you can take your share of the pie … just like us!!! We will all get fat together … Bob [Rizzo] has an expression he likes to use on occassion … Pigs get Fat ….. Hogs get slaughtered!!!! So long as we’re not Hogs…All is well!?”