Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed conspiracy, conflict of interest, and perjury charges against Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford, nearly two months after his home and office were raided by investigators. Two consultants, Kimberly Anne Shaw and Susan Miller, are also facing charges of conspiracy, embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds.
Prosecutors allege that as part of the scheme, Palmdale paid Shaw millions of dollars and then she — through a nonprofit organization and another consultant — funneled money to the mayor.
Between Aug. 1, 2009, and May 3, 2017, Ledford received about $5,200 a month through a series of shell companies, according to the criminal complaint. The mayor received more than $483,000 during that period, authorities say.
Shaw and Miller operate the AERO Institute, a strategic federal, state and regional partnership which receives over $2 million a year from NASA. Miller also operated Complex Culture Change Consulting in Nevada which hired Ledford in 2009. AERO paid the consulting firm over $13,000 a month. Complex Consulting then paid the mayor $5,200 monthly.
According to prosecutors, Ledford was not performing any real work for AERO. He managed to help Shaw get a sizeable contract increase without disclosing his involvement with the Institute. He also failed to report the income on finance disclosure statements, the prosecutors allege.
As City News noted last month, possible wrongdoing was first exposed during a 2013 voting rights act lawsuit. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, an attorney, represented the plaintiffs in that case. Local leaders have since called on the mayor to step down or take a leave of absence.
Ledford has been with the city for more than 30 years, first serving as a planning commissioner and city councilman. He was elected mayor in 1992. If convicted, he could face up to four years and eight months in state prison. Shaw and Miller could get four years as well.
Read more about the charges here.