Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. expressed he was concerned about the retirement of District 4 Councilman Ralph Franklin which lends more credibility to the allegations that the nominating period for the 2020 election was rigged to ensure his preferred candidates won.
“I want to welcome Councilwoman Faulk because this is a time of renewal and who comes onto the council and who becomes city clerk it matters,” said Butts. “We were concerned when Ralph [Franklin] stepped down and now with Faulk and Thompson we are solid.”
The nomination period went through a series of changes when incumbents Yvonne Horton and Ralph Franklin both pulled papers and failed to turn them in. The papers not being turned automatically triggered a five day extension for nomination papers to be submitted.
On the final day of the nomination period, August 7, city hall was closed to the public, however, Deputy City Clerk Aisha Thompson and then Inglewood Unified School District advisory board member Dionne Faulk pulled papers on that day.
It wasn’t until the following Tuesday, August 11, that Horton told the public she wasn’t running and nomination forms were due the next day.
Horton failed to follow the city’s own municipal code sections 2-48, 2-49 and 2-50 which forbids city employees from running until after they resigned their position. Not only was Thompson allowed to run, her name was placed on city council agendas as an appearance of misuse of taxpayers funds towards her election. Now that she has won, no other employee of the city clerk’s office are listed on the agendas.
Complaints to the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit have gone ignored regarding city resources being used for an employees campaign, and the legality of the municipal code sections regarding elections.
During a candidates forum Thompson stated she received a legal opinion that she was allowed to run. 2UrbanGirls submitted a public records request to the office of Inglewood City Attorney Ken Campos seeking email communications regarding Thompson’s running for office and the conflict with the municipal code, and the city refused to provide said documents citing “attorney-client privilege”.
Mayor Butts has been at the center of multiple allegations of fraud and based on his own comments was concerned that any outsider seated on the dais would be the proverbial nail in the coffin who could expose his continued fraud with the Clippers project, transit connector and other projects in the pipeline.
Will Dionne Faulk be her own person on the council or continue being an affirmative vote as her predecessor? She possesses a law degree but there is no mention of her being a practicing attorney. Will Thompson be made to falsify an upcoming election related to taxing the residents to build the people mover? Or will the District Attorney’s office get off their ass and start legal proceedings on the various complaints already in their possession?
Former District Attorney Jackie Lacey received complaints about former LA Councilman Jose Huizar taking bribes but did nothing with the information, but the FBI did.
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Yes oh yes that is why for years it has been said there are no elected in Inglewood only those who were “selected” by non-resident campaign manipulators.. Have you ever paid attention to where that group that puts out fancy campaign brochures gets the money to pay for printing and postage? And check out the shenanigans pulled when voters think before casting the vote for the glossy print candidate —— Isadore Hall and Albert Robles both will continue to have taxpayer paid employment even after voters said enough!
So let’s all pray the new DA finds the drawer with all the evidence to prove our complaints were not made up ,…. And he actually prosecutes the corrupt politicians
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Once again, Compton all over again. Current City Manager Craig Cornwell held the position of City Attorney previously. The Compton city charter says an elected official must be out of office one year before moving to an administration position. Council voted him in anyway. Then his successor, current acting City Attorney, Damon Brown, registered to vote at the end of July and two weeks later was “appointed” his position with the appointment to take place two weeks later because the city has a one-month residency clause. The powers that be circumventing the law to keep and consolidate their power. We see you Inglewood and we raise you one.