Farrell Gets OK to Hire 2 Former Campaign Aides
Requests by Los Angeles City Councilman Robert Farrell to hire two former campaign staffers were approved unanimously and without debate by the City Council this week.
The hiring had been attacked as “political patronage” by Kerman Maddox, an activist who plans to run against Farrell when he is up for reelection next year. Maddox suggested that Farrell was pushing the hirings as a way to repay campaign debts.
The council action grants $25,000 personal service contracts to Marcela Howell, who managed Farrell’s unsuccessful state Assembly race last June, and Anthony Thigpenn, who worked for the campaign.
Farrell still owes money to both for their campaign work, but defended the contracts as legitimate.
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