It was another ugly week for the City of Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, a former senior official from the City Attorney’s Office, Thomas Peters, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding or abetting extortion in connection with the LA Department of Water and Power scandal. Peters admits he threatened to fire an outside attorney unless that attorney paid $800,000 to a blackmailer who was threatening to expose misconduct within the City Attorney’s Office.
Court documents reveal Peters met with other “senior members of the City Attorney’s Office,” on Dec. 1, 2017 to discuss payment for the blackmailer. According to NBC4's I-Team, City Attorney Mike Feuer, who is currently running for mayor, was at that meeting.
Feuer has acknowledged he was probably at the meeting, but says he has no recollection of any discussions about extortion or a payoff.
You can read details about the plea agreement from City News Service and background on the LA DWP scandal at Los Angeles Magazine.