1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:00,880 Speaker 1: Can't. 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 2: I am six forty. 3 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: You're listening to the John Cobel Podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: You can hear the show every day from one to 5 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: four live on Camfi or. 6 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 2: On the iHeart app. 7 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: And also you can hear the podcast after four o'clock 8 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: on the iHeart app. It's John Cobet Show on demand. 9 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: It's the same as the radio show, and you can 10 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: pick up what you missed. Where is Michael Monks? 11 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: He's right here. Wow, So you're up in the ether today? 12 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 3: All right, I'm in the downtown Lakfi Bureau. 13 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 2: We have one, Yeah, we do. 14 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 3: Oh, it's got a couple of cats running around right now. 15 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: Ok, all right, Michael's coming on because a couple of things. Well, 16 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: let's start with Karen Bass's re election Saturday, re election 17 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: rally Saturday, she started her campaign. What what is this 18 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: about here? 19 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: What is she running on? 20 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: Well? 21 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: Why is this happening? Well, it won't come. 22 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 3: To a surprise to you what her talking points are, 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 3: because we've talked about it repeatedly on your show whenever 24 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 3: it comes up. I mean, you condemn the homeless environment 25 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 3: here in Los Angeles and the amount of money that's 26 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 3: been spent on it, the amount of money that's unaccounted for. 27 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 3: All those look like negatives, but what she points to 28 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 3: is a reduction in the homeless population. 29 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 2: So that's step one. 30 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 3: That there's been a modest drop in the number of 31 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 3: homeless people according to data from an organization that has 32 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 3: been heavily scrutinized by even the courts for its poor 33 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 3: accounting practices. So she does tout that. 34 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: And the Rand Corporation numbers exactly, So I mean that 35 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: that Bass missed buy up to forty percent in some districts. 36 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 3: What she has to do is take every one of 37 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 3: these negatives, whether it be the homeless environment, the fight 38 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 3: with the White House, or the fires in January. She's 39 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 3: got to twist that and turn that into positives. And 40 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,559 Speaker 3: that's what it sounds like she's trying to do. Even 41 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 3: with the fire in the Palisades. I mean, gosh, just 42 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 3: eleven months ago, she appeared dead in the water because 43 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 3: she was in Africa at the time that the Palisades 44 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 3: fire broke out, and she dealt with the fallout from 45 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 3: that for weeks. But she was kind of saved in 46 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 3: a lot of ways by Donald Trump when he became 47 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 3: president and when he deployed all of the federal agents 48 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 3: here to crack down on illegal immigration. 49 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 2: She had a foil. 50 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 3: That a lot more people in Los Angeles could rally 51 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 3: behind her. 52 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: So it's more important to people that she fights Trump 53 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: than it is that a big chunk of the city 54 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: burned down. 55 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 3: I think it was certainly more important for her because 56 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 3: she needed some headlines and she got them because she 57 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 3: did get to stand up to the President. Look, I 58 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 3: mean both sides, the mayor here and the governor here 59 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 3: and the White House. They've gone to court against each other. 60 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 3: Both have won some victories, but it gave the mayor 61 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 3: an enemy that more people could support her for. Whereas 62 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: even though the fire back in January. 63 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: Even the city, the city itself is literally falling apart. 64 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: The road conditions are terrible, the garbage is piled up, 65 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: the homeless are still out of control, and she's lying 66 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: about the numbers. The palisades is gone, and yelping about 67 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: Trump is more important. That's impossible for my brain to digest. 68 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 3: I think just from a campaign strategy perspective, it's something 69 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: that was working for her. This got her a lot 70 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 3: of national attention. She was on a lot of the 71 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 3: national news shows, and she got to talk about something 72 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: other than widespread homelessness and the fire that burned down 73 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: the palisade. So it just gave her something when she 74 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 3: really didn't have much of anything for a while. Now 75 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: one of her opponents, former deputy mayor and former LAUSD 76 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 3: Superintendent Austin Butener, is hitting her on a lot of 77 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 3: the points. 78 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: That you just made. 79 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: That these you know, there's not been enough done for 80 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 3: a variety of issues, or the efforts that have been 81 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 3: done are not good enough or they are questionable. So 82 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 3: she's not coasting to reelection here. But this rally on 83 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 3: Saturday to officially kick off her campaign though she had 84 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 3: announced several months ago and started raising money several months ago. 85 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: She had five members of the Los Angeles City Council there. 86 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 3: Wish I think showcases that the mayor is not dead 87 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 3: in the water. 88 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: Let me guess the names. 89 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Sure, did she have Unices Hernandez there? 90 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 3: She did not, But one of the DSA members was 91 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 3: Hugosta Martinez yet there And it's interesting that you mentioned 92 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 3: council woman Unisses Hernandez and we've got council in Hugosota 93 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 3: Martinez who were there they're both up for reelection next 94 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 3: year as well, and you know, when you look at 95 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 3: the candidates that they're up against, it's not going to 96 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 3: be a walk in the park from them. They are 97 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 3: going to have to campaign, especially Councilman Hernandez, who has 98 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 3: seven opponents right now and all of them actively campaigning 99 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 3: against her. 100 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 2: Look to take a drive through her district. That's exactly 101 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: what those candidates are saying. It's one of the. 102 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: Most disgusting places you'll ever see in America. 103 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 3: I don't know if you saw the article in the 104 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 3: New York Post over the weekend about Councilman Hernandez, but 105 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 3: you would probably enjoy reading it. 106 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: Is there you know what? I might have missed that. 107 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I have Eric find that for you because I'm surprised. 108 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: Okay, well, you know, I'll just look for it on 109 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 2: my iPad. 110 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 4: Here. 111 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 3: This is I mean, yeah, it absolutely blasts Councilman Hernandez, 112 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 3: especially for her governance of MacArthur Park and not showing 113 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 3: up to these campaign forums that have been held in 114 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 3: the area in recent weeks. There was a cardboard cutout 115 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 3: of her that attended the last one, but it didn't 116 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 3: have much to say. But this article had a lot 117 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 3: to say, Oh what the New York Post report. Keep 118 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 3: in mind, the New York Post will be opening next 119 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 3: month the California Post. 120 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 2: Oh, I know. So this is a little taste of. 121 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 3: What type of coverage we can probably expect from them, 122 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 3: that sort of gritty, antagonistic reporting they're famous for New York. 123 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: I'll just read the headline here I found it. 124 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: Meet the socialist LA leader making two hundred and forty 125 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: thousand dollars to reign over drug infested park as a crumbles. 126 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: That's the reality of the park, and that's the reality 127 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: of much of LA and all the other things we 128 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: were talking about. I don't understand why bitching about Trump 129 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: is more important than this. We have to live here 130 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: and he's got nothing to do with most of these issues. 131 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 2: Well, nor what any president. 132 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 3: You see that these campaigns are obviously supporters. So she 133 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 3: had some supporters, including those five members of the City Council, 134 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 3: including council President Markquis Harris Dawson, council member Soda Martinez, 135 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 3: current Price who is under indictment facing some serious penalties, 136 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 3: and council members had their hut and Adria Nazarian. They 137 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 3: were there. Members of the state Legislature that they were 138 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 3: there as well, So she's not dead in the water. 139 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 3: But these are supporters and there will be an election. 140 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 3: Right now, she has at least one very serious opponent, 141 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 3: and obviously we are still waiting to see what Racruso 142 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 3: decides to do. I think if you end up with 143 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 3: a race with incumbent mayor Karen Bass and Austin Butner 144 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 3: and Rick Caruso, you're going to have it's definitely not 145 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 3: going to be decided in the June primary. Yeah. 146 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: All, let's spend a couple of minutes on the arrests 147 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: out in the twenty nine Palms region. These four people 148 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: who belonged to this terrorist organization that wanted to blow 149 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: up these incendiary devices on New Year's Eve? 150 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: What was this about? The feds busted this operation. 151 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: It sounds really scary in fact, because the Feds say 152 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 3: that these four people are members of an organization called 153 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 3: the Turtle Island Liberation Front and First Assistant United States 154 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 3: Attorney Bill A. Sale said today that this investigation was 155 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: spurred on by President Trump's demand just a couple of 156 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 3: months ago that the federal law enforcement agencies start pursuing 157 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 3: left wing terrorist groups, namely Antifa. But they found themselves 158 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 3: to this and have been surveilling them for weeks and 159 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 3: found that four individuals allegedly were meeting to plan to 160 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 3: produce their own pipe bombs that they were going to 161 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 3: plant around Los Angeles and Orange County and detonate them 162 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 3: at midnight on New Year's Eve. They didn't say exactly 163 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 3: where they were except to say that they were businesses. 164 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 3: Bill A. Sale said that they would probably be Amazon 165 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 3: type logistical centers. So not exactly sure what the motive 166 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 3: there is, except that this group is known for its 167 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 3: anti government and anti capitalism positions. So these four were 168 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 3: arrested out in the desert as they were meeting to 169 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 3: build their bombs and test them. 170 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: And they had known about this or they got winded 171 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: this back in November I read, and they're arresting them 172 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: just days ahead of the planned detonation of the bombs. 173 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 174 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 3: You know, with an investigation, you get a tip, you 175 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 3: start to follow, you need some sort of probable calls. 176 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 3: They did follow them throughout multiple meetings, including one right 177 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 3: here in downtown Los Angeles that was held in person, 178 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 3: and they were able to get some very critical information 179 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 3: that ultimately led them, bust them on the scene Lucern 180 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 3: Valley just Friday, so we were getting very close to 181 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 3: when this attack. 182 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: Was SNA happen. Are they coming to get you here? 183 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 3: That's the Los Angeles National anthem that's playing in the 184 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 3: background here in downtown LA. 185 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: You live downtown, how many times a day do you 186 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 1: hear the sirens go by? 187 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 3: It's constant. It's absolutely constant. And I'm right next to 188 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 3: the firehouse that serves skid row, so it's constant. 189 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: Yes, re elect Karen Bash. All right, very good, Michael, 190 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you for going. All right, Michael Moss, 191 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: Michael Monks rather CAFI news. All right, I've the article. 192 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: The article he recommended here Jamie Page in the New 193 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: York Post. Meet the socialist LA leader making two hundred 194 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: and forty one thousand dollars to reign over drug infested, 195 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: a drug invested park as it crumbles. This is this 196 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: is a really entertaining read. I will I will read 197 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: it to you, or at least part of it coming up. 198 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: This is good. This is good stuff here. This is 199 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: what was published in the New York Post over the weekend. 200 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 4: Yeah, you're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI 201 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 4: AM six forty. 202 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: Only outsiders can describe Los Angeles in the media. Nobody 203 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: in the Los Angeles media wants to do it. Last hour, 204 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: I played for you a truly absurd piece done by 205 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: Aaron Myers from KTLA Channel five, who went to Karen 206 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: Bass's re election campaign kickoff Saturday morning and talked to 207 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: two of Karen Bass's supporters, and it was it was 208 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: just an hysterically absurd interview because Aaron Myer is saying thing, well, 209 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: I know, I know what the mayor is interesting in 210 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: homelessness and interested in homelessness. Here's the way the media 211 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: ought to be covering Los Angeles and Karen Bass and 212 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 1: Unices Hernandez, who is really really a stupid person, who's 213 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: the councilwoman for that MacArthur Park district. It's in the 214 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: New York Post and soon there's going to be a 215 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: California Post, a sister publication, so maybe people here in 216 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: LA will be more aware of what's happening. So the 217 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: headline is meet the socialist LA leader making two hundred 218 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: and forty thousand dollars to reign over a drug infested 219 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: park as it crumbles. 220 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 2: JB. 221 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: Page wrote this, I'm going to read you this as 222 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: is meet unices. Hernandez, the progressive, permissive councilwoman, raking in 223 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: far more money than the average Angelino each year, plus 224 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: gold plated benefits, even as MacArthur Park, the historic heart 225 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: of her district, rots into a fentanyl soaked nightmare. The 226 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: Post spent last week inside the park, witnessing and reporting 227 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: on open air drug use, pipe smoking, hand to hand deals, 228 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: city funded paraphernalia, needles, crack pipes, and food handouts being 229 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: distributed in broad daylight. That scene now defines the park. Hernandez, 230 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: who makes two hundred and forty thousand dollars a year, 231 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: had an opportunity to make nice with her district Thursday 232 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 1: at a pack public meeting with the very constituents forced 233 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: to live with the consequences of her policies, and she 234 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: was a no show. MacArthur Park parents were there, neighborhood 235 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: residents were there, local small business owners were there, but 236 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: she wasn't there. I need to introduce someone to you, 237 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: said a challenger named Maria Klatch. They call her Louke, 238 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: and she hoisted a life sized cardboard. 239 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 2: Cut out of Hernandez. 240 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: This is our current council member who's Mia and the 241 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: room erupted in laughter. This district is too important for 242 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: a no show. She skipped three in person debates. Meanwhile, 243 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: encampments have swallowed our streets. Let me go back to 244 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: Aaron Meyer's report on Channel five. She's talking to the 245 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: BASS supporters and she says, well, I know you know 246 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: the mayor has inside safe, which is getting encampments off 247 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: the streets. Walk through the MacArthur Park neighborhood. Talk to 248 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 1: this woman who's running against un This is Hernandez her quote. 249 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: Encampments have swallowed our streets. Parents can't even take their 250 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: kids to the park. There's human waste on the swings. 251 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: The homeless are sitting on the children's swings and defecating 252 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: and leaving the waste behind. And then somebody's little girl 253 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: jumps on the swing splat. Klangi said she makes two 254 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. The least she 255 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: can do is show up. It's her job. She's being 256 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: paid for it. This is sad and we need change. 257 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 2: If you in. 258 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: Interviews with local business owners, longtime residents, community members, the 259 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: message was consistent. The chaos is not random. It's the 260 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: result of deliberate political choices who say the blame is 261 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,359 Speaker 1: squarely in the lap of Hernandez. That's important. They deliberately 262 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: the Karen Bass and this is Hernandez model is to 263 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: deliberately choose all this disgusting, dangerous chaos. Alex Fionoeva, who's 264 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: running for sheriff again, she says, He says it's ideological. 265 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: The political establishment in Los Angeles is so knotted up 266 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: in the ideology. They refuse law enforcement. Where you have 267 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: an absence of law and order, everything follows, drug trafficking, 268 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: sex trafficking. It's embarrassing. The experiment has failed and the 269 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: people living there are the ones paying for it. Rick 270 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: Caruso says, there's this idea that there's a right to 271 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: have drugs. I don't agree with that. This is a 272 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: public park intended for families. He says, we've created a 273 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: drug haven. This has destroyed the small independent businesses in 274 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: the area. This is on purpose. They're anti they're anti 275 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: a normal, decent way of life. They don't believe in 276 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: people going to work, raising families, playing in the park. 277 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: It makes them crazy. So they have destroyed and destabilized 278 00:15:54,320 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: everything there's no police, defunded fire department, defunded drug paraphernalia 279 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: hand it out. And you know they'd hand out the 280 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: drugs too if they can get away with it. And 281 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: it just goes on and on this way, and Caruso 282 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: says the men and women in the fire station nearby 283 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: are exhausted. The exhaustion level and mental fatigue is extreme. 284 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: According to the Post, fire Station eleven, which covers MacArthur 285 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: Park has logged one three hundred and eighty five overdoses 286 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: this year, almost four a day last year is the 287 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: busiest firehouse in America. And all they do is treat 288 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: overdose drug addicts who would die if they didn't show up. 289 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: And some of them do. And they chose this. Karen 290 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: Dath chooses this, Unitus Hernandez chooses this. They get paid 291 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring this life to 292 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: normal people who just want to take their sons and daughters, 293 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: little kids for a ride on the swing without sitting 294 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: in a pile of human poop and stepping in a 295 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: pile of needles. 296 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,679 Speaker 2: I just flabbergasted by this. More coming up. 297 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobels on Demand from KFI AM 298 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 4: six forty. 299 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: We're on every day from one till four o'clock. After 300 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: four o'clock John Cobelts Show on demand Moistline. 301 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 2: Have you had enough? You want to let it out? 302 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 2: One more time? 303 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: This year we're doing a moistline this Friday eight seven seven, 304 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: Moist Steady six eight seven seven, Moist st eaighty six. 305 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: If you like numbers, it's eight seven seven sixty six 306 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 1: four seven. 307 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 2: Eight eight six. 308 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: Or use the talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app and 309 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: we'll do it twice three twenty and three point fifty 310 00:17:54,480 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: on Friday. Do you remember I told you often about 311 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: the Unemployment Department in California. Its official title is the 312 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,919 Speaker 1: Employment Development Department. 313 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 2: That that title makes no sense. It's the unemployment Department. 314 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: It's who you contact when you're out of work and 315 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: you need unemployment benefits. And famously they blew over thirty 316 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: billion dollars during the pandemic, giving unemployment money to fraudsters 317 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: around the world. In fact, they were so bad at 318 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:38,479 Speaker 1: their job they sent unemployment unemployment checks to everybody on 319 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: death row. For example, Scott Peterson got an unemployment check 320 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: from this department. Most of the money has never been recovered. 321 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:58,479 Speaker 1: Most of it was stolen by fraudsters overseas because nobody. 322 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,120 Speaker 2: In the department check. 323 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: And if I remember correctly, the reason Scott Peterson got 324 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: his check was that Gavin Newsom has had decided that 325 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: the department could not cross check names and social Security 326 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: numbers with prisoners because that would be a violation of 327 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: the prisoner's privacy. 328 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 2: I'm not making that up. 329 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: Apparently Scott Peterson had a right to privacy, so when 330 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: somebody used his name his identity to get unemployment money, 331 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: Newsom didn't want that confidentially confidentiality violated, and that's why 332 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: Peterson got unemployment money tax money. Well, there's another story 333 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: about the unemployment Department. I mean, this place is just 334 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: rife with idiots and thieves. The Unemployment Department bought more 335 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: cell phones than it needed for remote work. Again, this 336 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: was during COVID. Thousands more than they needed, and they 337 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: kept paying for thousands of unused lines. The Unemployment agency 338 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: paid cell phone bills for four and a half years 339 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: without checking whether it's workers were actually using the devices. 340 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: In fact, there was a photo colmatters dot org. You 341 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: can go there's a photo of all these mobile devices 342 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: stacked up in a storage room, thousands of them unused. 343 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 2: See. 344 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:45,199 Speaker 1: During the pandemic, the call center employees were shifted to 345 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: do remote work. They were working from home, and they 346 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: were under pressure to release benefits to millions of suddenly 347 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: unemployed Californians. Except, as I said, it wasn't just unemployed Californians. 348 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: It was anybody who bothered to fill out the form online, 349 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: no matter where they were in the world. 350 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 2: Nobody was checked. 351 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: Nobody at all was ever checked, and they looted over 352 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: thirty billion dollars of tax money. Well, it turns out 353 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: that all these Unemployment Department workers were sitting home in 354 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: their bathrobes and fuzzy slippers. They needed cell phones. That 355 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: was their work phone, and the Unemployment Department acquired seven thousand, 356 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: two hundred and twenty four cell phones and wireless hotspots. Now, 357 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: after doing an audit, they found that half the devices 358 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 1: were unused for at least two years, a quarter of 359 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: them were unused for three years, and about one hundred 360 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: of them were never used at all. But still every 361 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: month Unemployment Department is using your tax money to pay 362 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: the phone company a fee. Seven two hundred and twenty 363 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: four cell phones mostly unused. They got a tip, and 364 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: they said that the department wasted at least four and 365 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: a half million dollars when they got the cell phones. 366 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: When they originally purchased the cell phones, they purchased two 367 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: thousand more cell phones than call center employees. 368 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 2: Why was somebody getting a kickback. 369 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: With some of the money getting returned to a unemployment 370 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: department employee? 371 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 2: Was the deal over the phone? 372 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: It's like, yeah, you know, if you buy an extra 373 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 1: two thousand, I'll cut you in fifty to fifty. Maybe 374 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: that was it. Why would you do that? Would you 375 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: do that if you had the job? Woun't you count 376 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: the number of employees and whatever that number is, that's 377 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: the number of phones you buy. Maybe a few extra 378 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: to account for lost or stolen phones, right, but it 379 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: would be pretty close. 380 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 2: No, they got two thousand extras. 381 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: Then the pandemic ended, the staff returned back to the office. 382 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: There was no need for the cell phones. So more 383 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,959 Speaker 1: and more of these cell phones went unused. Like I said, 384 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: half of them unused for at least two years, a 385 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: quarter from unused for three years. But we all kept 386 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: paying the fee for each phone. They never canceled the contracts. 387 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: They never canceled the service. As of April, the audit 388 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: said the department had about seventeen hundred coll Seter employees 389 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: but was paying service fees for over five thousand phones. 390 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: Seventeen hundred employees, five thousand phones every month. We're paying. 391 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: The audit says, although obtaining the mobile devices during COVID 392 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: nineteen may have been a good idea to serve the public, 393 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: continuing to pay the monthly service fee for so many 394 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: unused devices post COVID was wasteful. 395 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 2: Thanks for that. 396 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 3: You know. 397 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: We did a thorough review and study of the situation, 398 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: and we discovered that all these phones that were unused 399 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: for years and years, thousands of phones, paying that monthly 400 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:41,919 Speaker 1: free was wasteful. 401 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 2: But they did it. 402 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: Somebody paid that bill every month. There was no oversight 403 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: over that either. Department officials told auditors they were unaware 404 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: of the spending the way they were unaware of all 405 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: the criminals stealing the thirty billion dollars. But the auditor said, well, 406 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: you got an invoice from Verizon every month, every month 407 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: which showed the phones were not being used. The audit said, 408 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: we would have expected Unemployment Department management to have reconsidered 409 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: the need to pay the monthly service fees for so 410 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: many devices that had no voice, no message, or no 411 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: data usage. 412 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so many. 413 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: That'd be five thousand of them. It's incredible, how stupid 414 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: and how wasteful they are. When we come back, we 415 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:54,239 Speaker 1: have another councilman who is being accused of violating of 416 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: taking gifts. 417 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 2: That he shouldn't have taken. 418 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: Another one who repeatedly violated the city's gift laws, and 419 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: he's under investigation by the City Ethics Commission. 420 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 2: What is that about half. 421 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,719 Speaker 1: The city council by now has gotten into legal trouble 422 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: or ended up in jail or is on their way 423 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 1: to jail. 424 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 2: We'll talk about this when we come back. You'll find 425 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 2: out who it is. 426 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI AM 427 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 4: sixty Conway. 428 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: Coming up in minutes, and then after four o'clock we'll 429 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: release John. 430 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 2: Cobelt Show on demand. 431 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: That's the podcast and you can hear whatever you missed today. 432 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 1: We spent a lot of time on the Rob Reiner 433 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: murder case. In the first hour before I talk about 434 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 1: the latest city councilman to be accused of violating gift 435 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: laws here in Los Angeles. I wanted to remember. I 436 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,159 Speaker 1: want to remember to play this. Chuck Schumer, the Senate 437 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 1: Minority leader. He is Jewish. In fact, he's the highest 438 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: ranking Jewish government official ever. And he came out to 439 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 1: speak about the terror attack on those Jews on Hanukkah 440 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: in Sydney. If you remember there was there was a 441 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: massive terrorist attack and many were killed and injured. Well, 442 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 1: Chuck Schumer came out to speak against it. Here's how 443 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: he opened. 444 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 3: And of course I'm going to say a few words 445 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 3: about the terrible shooting in Sydney, Australia. 446 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 2: Okay. So and first of course, as I always. 447 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 3: Say, no matter what, go bills, they beat the patriots today, 448 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 3: it's a big deal. 449 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:53,440 Speaker 1: That it's that's not that's not doctored. That that's real. 450 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: How many people were killed in that fifteen killed and 451 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 1: then there was like forty others that got shot right. 452 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 2: And injured. 453 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 1: So fifteen people get slaughtered. He comes out to make 454 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: a statement, but first, go bills. They beat the patriots. 455 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 3: That it was a comeback when the bills were down 456 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 3: twenty one to nothing. 457 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 2: So he was very excited. Yeah, quite the timing of him. 458 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: Had no dementia there all right, here we go, LA 459 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: City councilman. His name is John Lee, represents the northern 460 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: San Fernando Valley. He used to be the chief of 461 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: staff for Mitch Englander, who we had on the show 462 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: a number of times. And Mitch Englander got caught up 463 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: with some developer who took him to Las Vegas and 464 00:28:54,000 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 1: it was party time. It was it was gambling, chips, booze, food, hookers, 465 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: he got the whole menu. Well, John Lee was on 466 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: that trip as well, and he accepted some of the 467 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: goodies and other prizes from the developer. This is twenty 468 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: sixteen and twenty seventeen. An administrative law judge for the 469 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: City Ethics Commission said that Lee committed two counts of 470 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: violating a law governing the size of gifts a city 471 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: official can receive three counts of violating another law that 472 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: the gifts be publicly disclosed, and recommended a forty three 473 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: thousand dollars fine. Now, Englander was accused of accepting fifteen 474 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in cash from a businessman lining the FBI 475 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: agents obstructing the investigation, and he pleaded guilty and got 476 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: fourteen months in prison. Now they're going after John Lee, 477 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: and it was food, alcohol, hotel rooms. Lee is claiming 478 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: he tried to reimburse and in some cases never ate 479 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: the meals he got, not only the food and the booze, 480 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: and the hotels and the free rides. It was one 481 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in gambling chips, and it was provided by 482 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: three men who wanted business with city Hall. A lobbyist 483 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: named Michael Bay, an architect and developer named Chris Pack. 484 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 1: And then and then this guy named named Wang. The 485 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: hell's his first name. 486 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 2: Here he. 487 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: Sold Italian cabinets and smart home technology and facial recognition software. 488 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: Andy Wang's his name, And he was the one giving 489 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: England or the cash and the goodies. Lee said he 490 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 1: didn't remember eating during his meetings. Two of them were 491 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: in downtown LA at the Water Grill and a Mexican 492 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: restaurant with a complicated name. The judge said the denials 493 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: were not credible. Says his testimony was evasive and self contradictory, 494 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: and also in conflict with the information he gave to 495 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: the FBI. UH it's strange credulity to believe that Lee 496 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: would join Englander, Buy and Wang for lunch and dinner 497 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: without eating any food during the meals. 498 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 2: He actually said that that's like Bill Clinton's old line 499 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 2: about I didn't inhale. 500 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I sat with the other guys and the developer 501 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: and the and the other businessman, but I didn't eat 502 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: the food. I just sat there. Everybody else say I 503 00:31:59,400 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: didn't eat. 504 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 2: I didn't need anything, didn't even nibble on a breadstick. 505 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: Nothing. All right, I've got to go. I'm really really 506 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: going insane today. We've got Conway coming up in minutes. 507 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: Michael Krozer with the News now live in the KFI 508 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: twenty four hour Newsroom. Hey, you've been listening to the 509 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: John Covelt Show podcast. You can always hear the show 510 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: live on KFI AM six forty from one to four 511 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: pm every Monday through Friday, and of course, anytime on 512 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: demand on the iHeartRadio app.