Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian said Tuesday evening he will move to suspend Councilmember Curren Price, hours after Price was charged with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest by the L.A. County district attorney’s office.
Price called the charges against him “unwarranted.”
Krekorian said he planned to introduce a motion to suspend Price during Wednesday’s council meeting. If it is initially approved by the council, the motion would then be heard in the council’s rules committee before returning to the full council for another vote, meaning there will be no final decision during Wednesday’s meeting.
The rules committee — which Price previously served on — typically meets on the first Friday of every month, but Krekorian spokesperson Hugh Esten said the committee would schedule a special meeting as soon as possible to discuss the matter.
The process will probably take “days, not weeks,” Esten said.
“This process will give the council adequate opportunity to consider all of the issues, including the nature of the charges that have been filed and the impacts of suspension on the people of the Ninth District,” Krekorian said in his statement. “At the same time, we will begin a process of outreach to the people of the district to hear what course of action they believe would be most appropriate to ensure that they are not harmed by a potential vacancy of this council seat and that they continue to receive the services of their council office.”
Earlier Tuesday evening, Price stepped down from his committee assignments and leadership position on the council.
Price, a three-term member whose district stretches from South Los Angeles through the southern edge of downtown L.A., had served as the council’s president pro tempore since late October. As Krekorian’s second in command, Price occasionally led council meetings while Krekorian was absent, as was the case for much of Tuesday’s regular meeting.
“While I navigate through the judicial system to defend my name against unwarranted charges filed against me, the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to the people’s business,” Price said Tuesday evening in a letter to Krekorian. He described it as a “painful decision” conveyed with “deepest regret.”
Price is accused of having a financial interest in development projects that he voted on, and receiving tens of thousands of dollars in medical benefits from the city for his now wife while he was still married to another woman, according to a statement issued by the district attorney’s office.
Until Tuesday evening, the veteran politician had a number of plum committee assignments. He chaired the economic and community development committee and served as vice chair of the powerful budget, finance and innovation committee. He was also on the civil rights, equity, immigration, aging and disability committee; the personnel, audits and hiring committee; and the rules, elections and intergovernmental relations committee.
Price also chaired the ad hoc committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games, which convened just after the charges were filed Tuesday afternoon with Price notably absent from the room.
Krekorian’s office did not immediately respond when asked how the council president planned to reassign Price’s committee assignments.
Price said in his letter to Krekorian: “I have had no greater privilege than to serve the people of Los Angeles and specifically the residents of District 9 and I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to be a strong voice for our culturally rich South Central, a part of our city that has long been disenfranchised, overlooked and forgotten.”
Price’s term is not set to expire until 2026. Members of the City Council have voted twice in the last three years to suspend other members facing criminal charges. Price would permanently lose his seat if he is convicted of a felony under city rules.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
