D.A. Blocked From Role in Political Corruption Probe

A judge on Thursday removed the district attorney’s office from the political corruption case against former Bell Gardens City Manager Maria Chacon, declaring a conflict of interest because the office’s top investigator worked for the city during Chacon’s tenure.

The surprise ruling by Superior Court Judge David M. Horwitz means that the case, the first one filed against a public official by the newly formed public integrity unit, will probably be handled by the state attorney general’s office.

Chacon, a former City Council member, was charged this year with violating conflict-of-interest laws for voting for measures that allegedly cleared the way for her appointment as city manager.

Chacon’s attorneys argued that the case was biased because the district attorney’s chief of investigations, Steve Simonian, took part in discussions about Chacon when he worked for the city last year.

Though prosecutors said Simonian was never a key player in Bell Gardens and had steered clear of the investigation, the judge ruled that his involvement prevented Chacon from receiving a fair trial.

“It’s more than ironic that the public integrity unit is alleging conflict of interest when they themselves are suffering from it,” said Mark Geragos, an attorney involved in the case.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Wilson said he would appeal the decision. He said that three weeks ago another judge who heard the same evidence in a related case determined that there were no grounds to recuse the office.

“Somehow, simply because [Simonian] was connected with Bell Gardens, there’s a problem with our prosecution of the case. . . . It is ludicrous,” he said.

Simonian worked for Bell Gardens for most of 2000, first as interim police chief and assistant city manager and then as a part-time consultant. He said that his knowledge of Chacon’s activities during his employment was limited to office gossip and that he was not involved in any of the decision-making. After he was hired by the district attorney’s office, Simonian said he kept himself out of the loop as investigators prepared their case.

State officials said they will reevaluate the case before deciding whether to move forward with prosecution.

Chacon’s attorney, Michael Nasatir, said the case should be dropped: “It’s an unjust prosecution, and it shouldn’t be continued.”

Prosecutors said the decision would not alter the public integrity unit’s mission.

“Decisions such as the one today will not stop the long overdue effort by the district attorney’s office . . . to investigate and prosecute public corruption in Los Angeles County,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the office.