L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel Skirts Law, Delays Public Records Release Until After Election

By Brian Hews

Los Angeles City Controller and Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel has once again refused to comply with a public records request submitted by Los Cerritos Community Newspaper, it was reported on Tuesday.

The requests were made back on January 22 and 23, 2013, from LCCN Publisher/Owner Brian Hews under the California Public Records Act (PRA).

In the request, LCCN sought all emails and written correspondence between Greuel and Brian D’Arcy, Head of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #17, political consultant John Shallman, owner of Shallman Communications and consultant to Greuel’s Mayoral campaign, and Greuel for Mayor Campaign Manager Rose Kapolczynski..

Another request asked for all emails pertaining to Randy Economy, investigative reporter for LCCN.

Under the PRA, Greuel had 10 days to comply or ask for an extension which would have required her to comply by Feb 14. On Feb 14, her office sent another email that they required more time, but did not provide an ample explanation, and the request would not be done until Mar 14, nine days after the election.

“Wendy Greuel is not above the law, and cannot hide from members of the media,” said Hews in a statement. “Greuel withheld giving Los Cerritos Community Newspaper her city calendar for more than six months, and when we finally received it the documents showed that she was spending part of her time campaigning and fund-raising on taxpayer time including assigning Controller staff to such activities during business hours,” Hews said.

“This is very strange behavior from someone who claims to run a tight ship. She claims to be the city’s chief auditor, but a review of her record shows she’s really just L.A.’s chief campaigner,” Hews said of Greuel.

LCCN released thousands of pages of documents in January specifically surrounding Greuel’s official city calendar for the past three years.

In those documents, it was determined that Greuel had campaigned during regular business hours and held almost one hundred campaign strategy meetings with Shallman, Kapolcyznski and D’Arcy.

Contact: Randy Economy, 562-743-0882 (cell), 562-407-3873 (work)