The CEO of California’s Los Angeles County is in hot water over allegations that she gave herself a multimillion-dollar payout despite telling county employees there was no money for raises.
The point of this is not to argue necessarily that any Los Angeles employees needed a raise on the taxpayer dime, but simply to illustrate the extreme hypocrisy of CEO Fesia Davenport herself, presuming the allegations are true. Regardless of the merits of their own case for raises, the county employees are right to consider Davenport a dishonest back-stabber.
It turns out Davenport is already on a lengthy leave, as it seems her shady behavior has drawn scrutiny for some time, based on the report from watchdogs at LAist. An attorney is now arguing that the payout Davenport arranged for herself is in fact in violation of the California Constitution, based on the ban of gifts of public funds. County employees did get 2% cost of living raises and bonuses, so they still did get some of what they wanted, just not as much as Davenport gave herself.
David Green, who is a county “social worker” and the president of union SEIU 721, helps represent more than half of the 100,000 Los Angeles county employees. As a side note of context, Los Angeles last year faced a $1 billion budget shortfall, so there probably wasn’t really money for raises. That said, there also wasn’t money for Davenport to give herself a gargantuan bonus.
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Green described the union reaction to Davenport’s payout: “Our members are really furious about it.” He found out about the allegations from LAist, and was furious. He saw up close and personal just how many times Davenport made the case that county employees couldn’t have raises.
The union was negotiating contracts, and both Davenport and her representatives told the union over and over that they couldn’t afford raises, even as she was “secretly negotiating a deal that put her own needs first.” Davenport “felt the need to line her own pockets,” Green accused. “I was disappointed and disgusted.”
Unsurprisingly, according to LAist, Davenport has made herself unavailable for comment or responses to complaints.
Anthony Meraz is a deputy sheriff and vice president of the sheriff’s deputies’ union, which represents the second-largest number of county staff. Meraz said he and his colleagues were concerned by the $2 million payment, along with the secrecy around it and Davenport’s sudden leave of absence.
“That’s substantial money at a time where the county is claiming economic and financial distress,” Meraz emphasized. “ Leaders eat last. The idea behind being in charge is that you are supposed to be taking care of people that are in your charge.” Of course, in Democrat-run Los Angeles, that’s hardly the norm for leadership. Usually, government officials there line their own pockets at the expense of their constituents.
The reality is that Los Angeles County probably needs a major reform at all levels of its government, and in the unions, too. But holding Davenport accountable for her potentially unconstitutional personal enrichment would be a start in the right direction.
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