City Hall buildings, the mayor's home and the current and former councillor's home in Huntington, California were attacked Wednesday in a massive corruption investigation into the $14 million project, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman.
The investigation, named Operation Dirty Pond, has focused on “potential misuse of millions of public funds allocated to the construction of the aquatic centre” since November 2022, the DA's office said.
The Huntington Park area aquatic centre, which was deemed “critical” on the city's website, was expected to be a two-storey building with Olympic-sized pools, gyms, soccer fields and meeting rooms. However, residents have never seen the results, according to the city's deputy mayor.
“This is a project that has brought nothing to the residents,” Deputy Mayor Arturo Flores told Fox 11 Los Angeles. “We have an estimated $14 million give or take that was spent by the city, and from those funds, we understand that city residents only receive empty lots of dead grass and nothing to show for the millions of dollars.”
It reminds me of Mayor Oakland, who was charged with federal corruption charges.
The entrance to Huntington Park City Hall was cut off from the public as officials conducted a search warrant for the building. (Facebook/Huntington Park Neighborhood Watch)
Fox News Digital also contacted Huntington Park Mayor Karina Macias and Deputy Mayor Arturo Flores for comment, but did not immediately respond.
Former Huntington Park City Councilman Linda Carabaro reportedly said she sent 282-page related documents to the DA's office years ago to warn of alleged corruption. Carabalo said the local station needs to be prepared “from mayor to large shot call staff to photographers.”
“My head will roll, and a lot of people will actually be put in some serious issues,” Caraballo told Fox11. “They should all find lawyers right away.”
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Yellow police tape stretched out over parts of Huntington Park City Hall on Wednesday. (Facebook/Huntington Park Neighborhood Watch)
Another Huntington Park City Councilman, Valentin Amekkita, told Fox 11 that this may not be the city's only corrupt project and suggests conducting a “forensic audit of the city of current and past contracts.”
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Amezquita told the local station. “There are so many more.”
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Salt Lake Park, the proposed site for the Huntington Park Regional Aquatic Center in California, has not undergone construction. (Fox 11 Los Angeles)
According to the DA's office, numerous items were seized during a search, including public records, financial documents and electronics.
“My office is committed to ensuring that civil servants maintain the highest standards of integrity, integrity and transparency,” Hochman said. “If any concerns arise about the use of public funds or the actions of people in their office, it is our duty to thoroughly investigate and protect public trust.”
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“I would like to praise the dedicated prosecutors and investigators for their hardworking work in this complex case. Their unwavering commitment to justice ensures that no one is beyond the law, regardless of their position or title.”
