Bell Coverage Wins Pulitzer Prize

Bell is one of the poorest cities in L.A. County. Photo: Robert J. Lopez

I was part of a team of 20 Los Angeles Times reporters and editors, led by Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, that was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public service. Our series of articles exposed how top officials in Bell, one of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County, enriched themselves with extraordinary salaries and benefits while illegally raising taxes on residents and resorting to other legally questionable schemes to raise revenue. The stories produced by our team of reporters and editors resulted in criminal charges against eight former officials and new government disclosure laws in cities and counties across California.

The Bell scandal began when Gottlieb and Vives first reported about the high salaries in summer 2010. I became involved with Paloma Esquivel and wrote two investigative articles, both of which were submitted as part of the Pulitzer package. The articles revealed how city officials raised revenue from questionable tactics such as arbitrary fees on small business owners and seizing vehicles and property of people who allegedly violated municipal codes. Both pieces featured stories of residents who were victimized and relied on numerous public records. Here they are:

Bell Codes a Cash Cow
Bell officials demanded arbitrary fees from some business owners