Pay-To-Play SCANDAL Rocks Los Angeles

Gavel next to indictment document on wooden table.

Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price faces serious new corruption charges for allegedly orchestrating an $800,000 pay-to-play scheme with his consultant wife that brazenly exploited taxpayer funds for personal enrichment.

Story Highlights

Price charged with embezzlement and perjury for steering city contracts to agencies that paid his wife over $800,000
Allegations include voting for $317 million in public funding while concealing financial ties to benefiting agencies
District Attorney calls the scheme “the antithesis of public service” as Price maintains innocence
Case represents latest corruption scandal plaguing Los Angeles City Council amid eroding public trust

Alleged Pay-to-Play Scheme Exposed

District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed two additional corruption charges against Councilman Curren Price in August 2025, alleging a calculated scheme to enrich his wife’s consulting firm through official votes. Price allegedly voted to approve $35 million in federal grants and $252 million in state funds for the LA Housing Authority while the agency simultaneously paid his wife Del Richardson’s firm over $600,000. Similarly, prosecutors claim Price supported $30 million in public funding for LA Metro as the transit agency paid Richardson’s consulting business approximately $200,000 during the same period.

Pattern of Financial Conflicts Hidden From Public

The charges reveal Price allegedly failed to disclose these substantial financial relationships on mandatory government forms, concealing potential conflicts of interest from voters and colleagues. Richardson’s firm, Del Richardson & Associates, specializes in housing and relocation services directly relevant to the agencies Price influenced through his council votes. Prosecutors contend Price’s staff specifically flagged contract items for his attention before votes, suggesting deliberate coordination rather than coincidental timing between payments and official actions.

Defense Claims Political Persecution

Price’s attorney Michael Schafler dismissed the new charges as “an attempt to pile on to a weak case,” arguing the prosecution lacks sufficient evidence for conviction. The defense maintains the charges are politically motivated, with Price pleading not guilty and remaining free on recognizance pending preliminary hearings. Price himself has urged the public to withhold judgment while asserting his innocence, though he faces term limits requiring him to leave office by the end of 2026 regardless of the case outcome.

Broader Pattern of Municipal Corruption

This case represents the latest in a series of corruption scandals plaguing the Los Angeles City Council, following similar charges against former members Mark Ridley-Thomas and Jose Huizar. The pattern reveals systemic issues with oversight and transparency in city contracting processes, particularly concerning family members of elected officials receiving public funds. District Attorney Hochman emphasized that “embezzling public funds and awarding contracts for your own financial gain is the antithesis of public service,” highlighting the betrayal of taxpayer trust these allegations represent.