Police have arrested current and former city officials who are accused of pilfering millions from the taxpayers of Bell. The small Los Angeles suburb gained national notoriety as a poster town for bureaucratic corruption, and authorities wasted no time investigating and arresting the alleged nest featherers.

Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley filed charges against eight current and former Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Robert Rizzo, Bell’s former city manager, has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.

The charges come after a dramatic morning in which authorities swept through Bell and other cities, arresting former and current Bell officials.

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