Payment of Ex-Compton Mayor’s Legal Fees, Back Wages Challenged

A lawsuit aimed at blocking the public payment of $840,000 in legal fees incurred by former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The suit, challenging the recent Compton City Council vote to pay Bradley’s fees for fighting the city’s June election results, also seeks to prevent Bradley from receiving $43,000 in back pay.

“The city can’t just give $840,000 in attorney fees to anyone without a legal obligation to do so,” said Pasadena lawyer Glenn Rothner, who filed the suit on behalf of Compton Fire Department employee Margaret Mitchell.

Rothner said the legal fees and back wages amount to “an unlawful gift of public funds.”

Bradley’s attorney, Bradley Hertz, who is listed as a defendant in the suit, could not be reached for comment. Rothner also named the city of Compton as a defendant.

Bradley, who was defeated in his reelection bid last year by Eric Perrodin, returned to office for a brief stint last month after he successfully challenged the election results in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Days later, the state’s 2nd District Court of Appeal reinstated Perrodin, pending the outcome of his appeal. That same day, the City Council voted 3 to 1 to pay Bradley’s legal fees and back wages. Perrodin has said one of his goals in office would be to address the council’s decision to make the payments.

The lawsuit says Bradley is not entitled to legal fees because the electoral challenge is pending in court. Further, by awarding the fees, the council has illegally taken Bradley’s side in the court challenge to Perrodin’s election, the suit said.

Rothner also challenged the back pay because he says Bradley “made no valid claim” for it. He noted that the court, in overturning Perrodin’s election, did not order the council to provide Bradley with pay for the period in which he did not serve as mayor.