Investigators Search Compton City Hall

On the eve of a county grand jury proceeding into possible misuse of public funds by Compton officials, district attorney investigators Wednesday conducted a search of Compton City Hall.

Employees said investigators ordered them out of portions of the building while officials looked for documents in a court-authorized search.

Deputy Dist. Atty. David Demerjian, who heads the district attorney’s public integrity unit, described the search as very narrow and aimed at securing a few specific documents that he declined to identify. Sources have said the district attorney’s office is looking into possible misuses of city-issued credit cards by some City Council members and top administrators. A number of Compton officials have been subpoenaed to testify at grand jury hearings beginning today.

The warrant said the district attorney’s office was seeking evidence of felonies in travel and other records for seven past and present City Council members, former Mayor Omar Bradley and numerous city administrators as well as friends and relatives of city leaders.

In a separate probe, federal prosecutors have also subpoenaed some of the same Compton officials to appear before another grand jury Thursday. Subpoenas show they are investigating a series of transactions between Compton and Paul Richards, a former assistant city manager who is also a longtime City Council member in neighboring Lynwood. Richards has said he has done nothing wrong and welcomes the scrutiny.