Lynwood Council Lets Recall Election Period Lapse

The Lynwood City Council, citing alleged voter fraud, has declined to set a date for a recall election against Councilman Paul Richards in a move criticized by recall proponents who accuse Richards and two other council members of trying to thwart the process.

The council majority, at a late meeting Tuesday night, let lapse the 14-day period during which state law requires them to set an election. The Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office will now set the date.

Mayor Fernando Pedroza and Councilman Louis Byrd said an election should not take place until an investigation determines whether the recall petition signatures were illegally gathered. Recall proponents, who include Councilmen Ramon Rodriguez and Arturo Reyes, dismissed the allegations and accused the council majority of manipulating the process. The recall petitions, they note, have already been certified as valid by the county.

“It’s so blatantly unlawful it’s outrageous,” said Fredric Woocher, the attorney for recall supporters. “The law is so plain.”

According to the state election code, a local governing body must set the date for a recall election within 14 days after receiving a certification of the validity of the petitions. The Lynwood council received the certification from the city’s election official, Andrea Hooper, on May 20.

Lynwood City Atty. James Casso said the council’s inaction was not illegal because the election code still provides that the recall election date be set by county officials. Proponents, however, said they fear the city will try to block the election by raising a legal challenge.

Meanwhile, the county registrar’s office confirmed that it would be setting an election date within a few days. The special election could occur by late August or early September.

The council’s move marks the latest twist in the hotly contested recall effort against Richards, whom recall proponents claim is corrupt for steering contracts to relatives and for his ties to officials in Compton, where some of his dealings as a land developer and attorney are under investigation by the FBI.

Richards, who has been on the council for 17 years, said recall proponents -- most of whom are Latinos -- are being racist and are paying out-of-town circulators to gather hundreds of signatures.

He also said that some administration officials linked to recall proponents allowed the recall to proceed despite evidence of fraud.

He rejected accusations that his vote on Tuesday constituted a conflict of interest. Proponents said Richards shouldn’t be voting on issues that affect his political future. “This is not my battle. It’s not about my political fate,” said Richards. “This is about a political process in the city of Lynwood.”

Richards, who has threatened to file a lawsuit, said he would not do so until the city first investigates the fraud allegations.