The Antelope Valley Times

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Palmdale mayor addresses District Attorney investigation

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Jim Ledford

PALMDALE – No criminal charges have been filed against Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford, the mayor is cooperating with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and the mayor is confident that he will be cleared of all accusations when the inquiry is concluded. This according to a statement released Thursday by Ledford’s attorney, Anthony J. Falangetti.

Read the full statement below or view it here:

“Based on recent activity by investigators of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, it appears that they are conducting an investigation that in some way involves Mayor James Ledford. To our knowledge at this time, no criminal charges have been filed. Mayor Ledford has always been transparent and cooperative regarding any inquiries into his employment or his position as Mayor. He has cooperated with the District Attorney’s Office and he will continue to cooperate with the review of any documents or materials they seek.

Mayor Ledford is innocent of any alleged misconduct or criminal charges. We are confident that when the District Attorney’s inquiry is concluded, he will be cleared of all accusations.

The Mayor has faithfully served his community for over 30 years. Under his leadership, Palmdale continues to grow and flourish. With the aerospace industry as the foundation of economic growth and job creation, the city attracts businesses of all types to support a growing middle class population. By every statistically measure, Palmdale excels under the Mayor’s leadership. This has been reaffirmed time and time again by the voters’ overwhelming support for the Mayor in the polling booth for 13 terms.

The presumption of innocence is the hallmark of the American justice system. We hope that public and the press will honor this sacred and fundamental principle. We request you responsibly reserve judgment until the investigation is completed and any court proceedings are concluded.”

The statement comes a week after investigators with the District Attorney’s Office searched Ledford’s City Hall office and his home.

The nature of the investigation remains a mystery. However, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, an attorney who represented a Palmdale man who sued the city over election districting in 2013, told CBS2 that he thinks a deposition given by Ledford in that case might explain the DA’s investigation.

“He testified that he was getting $60,000 a year, that he was supposedly working by the hour, but he did no work for it.  That is a gift,” Parris alleged to CBS2 last week.

Palmdale City Councilman Austin Bishop has called on Ledford to take a voluntary leave of absence pending the completion of the investigation.

“While we still don’t know a lot and we want to ensure an open and fair process for anyone under investigation, as public officials we hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Bishop said last week.

Ledford, 63, was elected to his 13th two-year term as Palmdale’s mayor last November. The city does not have term limits.

Previous related stories:

Council member calls on Palmdale mayor to take leave of absence

Investigators search home, office of Palmdale mayor

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Filed Under: Palmdale, Politics

56 comments for "Palmdale mayor addresses District Attorney investigation"

      • Well he’s charged with perjury, illegally receiving over 60k (that means a kickback or bribe, William), conspiracy, and conflict of interest.

        • It is always helpful to provide a link to where you found the information you are sharing.

          • I didn’t need a link. I knew it was coming today.

            His co-conspirators also charged. They were moving money around to pay him from several shell companies for over seven years.

            The raid on his home found the different records of payment from all these different companies with the same amounts.

            Case number BA458328.

            If one of the ladies also charged flips, like it sounds like she may do, he’s toast.

          • You may not need the link smarty pants, but others of us might need a link to a publicly viewable web page since we are not family of law enforcement. You are less likely to be seen as a pain in the arse if you were less high horsey and more polite.

          • Hey, big surprise. Anyone care to guess what the number one revenue stream at KFI radio is?

          • Thank you for the link!
            Ouch, those are some serious charges. Curious the ‘other parties’ are unknown.

    • Foolco, like his Daddy Rex and DUI Drew, have no concept of the American legal system’s ‘innocent until proven guilty’ position. The track record that Rex and the DA have had in recent years is not good. Raymond Lee Jennings, Randy Floyd, and Esmerelda Jorge all were attacked by Rex and all were not charged.

      We’ll see how this plays out.

      • Well…Ledford is going to have to explain how he was getting paid from “ABC Company” and then from “DEF Company” and “XYZ Company”, all the same amounts and all connected to the people who were running his consulting company.

        If what Ledford was doing was as legit as people here claim it was, why not have pay stubs from that company? It’s always the cover up that leaves the paper trail.

        Allegedly, the DA investigators were looking at three years worth of payments and their digging, along with Jim’s meticulous record keeping made the case for charging him with seven years of payments…but sure…this is rex making those people pay Jim and doctor records for seven years.

        • We know how it’s going to play out. Wrecks and his cronies are going to be ‘pursuing the case’ and using their faithful spouters like you to stink up the media. There may or may not ever be a trial, but Ledford won’t be able to run for re-election next year and a hand picked Wrecks pawn will be funded into his place. That will give Wrecks a majority of pawns on the council and all of a sudden the “benefits” of sharing tax revenues will become clear. Palmdale will funnel money into Lancaster, which will in turn funnel it into the same pockets that all of Lancaster’s money has been lining for years. I have to assume that you or your dirty cop father are somehow on the take for this, since you seem to be getting fed the information Wrecks wants to get out there by direct spoon.

        • Quoting Shane Falco:
          “Ledford is going to have to explain how he was getting paid from “ABC Company” and then from “DEF Company” and “XYZ Company”, all the same amounts and all connected to the people who were running his consulting company.” END Quote

          Ledford does not have to explain much of anything. The burden of proof in this case falls upon the prosecution to prove its case. But you and Rex Parris should know that already. So you can get Parris to go on the stand to testify what his theory is, and why he’s is being so hateful to a man who has clearly outdone him when it comes to loyalty, integrity, hard word for the people he served.

          Shell companies are at times used to hie assets or questionable activities, but do not necessarily imply corruption. They are simply a business tool for managing personal and professional matters, for protecting oneself from litigation and for tax purposes.

          And last but not least, until we hear testimony from the people making those payments and possibly from the person receiving them, we cannot determine whether they were paid as compensation for services rendered, or if they were a “gift” like Parris has already classified them as!

  3. I’m just so relieved that the community finally sees that this is a smear campaign from Parris. He is a cancer to Lancaster now he wants to spread his bs to Palmdale.

    Palmdale is thriving thanks to Ledford’s governing, all the new businesses and jobs just in the last 5 years alone has been a blessing. Unlike Parris who sues fortune 500 companies and runs them out the valley, which in turn placed a lot of happily working families on government assistance that Parris so despises but he leads people there, so he can line his pockets. What Mayor sues a company that is making its community thrive?

    What new developments has Lancaster seen under Parris? I’ll wait…

    Leave Mayor Ledford and the citizens of PDale out of your sick game. Lancaster it’s time to vote this self serving monstrosity of a Mayor out!

    • I’d join in your optimism if I thought that “the community finally sees that this is a smear campaign from Parris” was really true. The same people who already knew Wrecks for what he is are pointing that out, but we always have. The question is whether the same “I pay no attention so I’ll vote for the most recognizable name” majority will put in more heavily funded Wrecks puppets in the next election. I personally think that is a likely outcome.

      We should be pushing HARD, right now, for a city charter requirement that any future revenue sharing plan be put directly to the voters, because in the foreseeable future we are going to have a city council that can’t be trusted with that authority..

  4. I think this stunt is going to blow up in Rex’ face. Face it bud, Jim is just too popular. You can try to use the DA’s office to do your bidding, but ultimately Jim is a good guy who wants what’s best for his community. Fortunately, folks are seeing through this thinly veiled attack on his reputation. He will survive. I’m just disappointed that the DA’s office allowed themselves to be used like this. I’m sure if they’d have asked him, Jim would have just given them his laptop and computer.

  5. This is actually a pretty cool development. Since Wrecks and co. are using the legal system to go after Mayor Ledford, Mayor Ledford can now use the legal system to ask THEM a few questions! I find it hilarious that the paragon of public virtue, drunken Drew, is the one who filed this nonsense.

    What’s going to happen is, it’s all going to be found to be nonsense, Jim “Dude” Ledford will abide, and Rex will slink back to the hole he pops out of every now and then to spew hate because nobody loves him.

    I am mostly disappointed in the LA County District Attorney’s office that has allowed itself to be a political pawn in Rex Parris’ madcap schemes to take over Palmdale. Why didn’t they just ask Jim for his computer equipment? He would have handed it over willingly, no doubt.

    In the end, it is going to look like an amateurish attempt to smear someone whose legacy is assured. It will all come out for the naked power grab that it is. Be careful of hubris guys, it bites you in the rear every time.

  6. I sincerely hope that council members involved are removed from their positions. The lack of integrity and loyalty to Palmdale is sickening. Palmdale needs council members that are supportive of their Mayor, not trying to tear him down.

    • I haven’t given up hope yet. I’m hoping Mr. Hofbauer to do some soul searching and realize that he does love Palmdale. I hope he get over his recent disagreemts with the Mayor and remember the way Rex, Marv and DUI Drew treated him, ridiculed him over the years. They are not his friends, they are just using him and will throw him under BYD electric bus in a New York minute once they’re done with their take over of Palmdale. I think and hope he does have a good heart and will come around.

      • Parris pawns = Hofbauer, Bishop and Carrillo. Remember this anytime we have an election.

        • The hard part is that there will always be more pawns. Notice that Wrecks and the Lancaster gang focused on getting Bishop and Hofbauer in this time…the two council members that were on four year terms. It is guaranteed that they will be focused on getting at least one more in the 2018 election. Wrecks is evil, but not stupid. He has a plan.

          • Yes. They are targeting Laura Bettencourt. Odd, that she is a Republican, but because she hasn’t sold her soul to Lancaster and looks out for Palmdale residents, they want her out.

            They will probably try to take Carrillo out, too. He has been part of the Hofbauer-Bishop pro-Lancaster caucus for the most part, but he is a Democrat. Frank Visco, Rex, Marv, Drew and the rest of the Lancaster political machine don’t want a Democrat stopping their plans. They will recruit someone and they’ll try to fool the voters like they did with Bishop. Or they’ll do what they did to Martinez and run two Dems in the district so their puppet candidate will win.

            It’s amazing what you can learn by watching these meetings and talking to people in Lancaster who are in the know.

      • Hope, I hope you are right. Palmdale needs both Ledford and Hofbauer for success. Rex knows this, so he has driven a wedge in between them. Rex mocked Hofbauer in the voting rights deposition. Marv, Rex, and Drew make fun of him behind his back. They Lancaster Machine will use Hofbauer and then back Loa and throw Hofbauer under the bus. Mark my words.

        • Hofbauer is in too deep with Marv and Rex. They recruited Bishop and they are on a vendetta against Ledford. They don’t care how much it hurts Palmdale. They want Ledford out. Once that happens, Marv and Rex will dump Hofbauer and put their puppet Loa in office. Then they will go after Carrillo and Bettencourt.

          Say goodbye to Palmdale. It will become a suburb of Rexville. Get ready for Visco and Gilley to double their fortunes.

          • Why was Marv Crist talking to Hofbauer, Bishop, and Carrillo about sharing sales tax revenue between the cities at a Lancaster Sheriff’s Booster fundraiser? What’s up with that? Why would Palmdale taxpayers want their money to go to Lancaster? For what? More funding for stupid ideas like LEAPS and black road paint?

          • Another question should be why were Hofbauer, Bishop and Carrillo attending LANCASTER’S fundraiser? They seem to be spending a lot of time over there.

          • Hofbauer and Bishop were and are funded by the Lancaster political machine. They are bought and paid for by Rex, Marv, Frank, Drew, Gilly, and the rest of them. Palmdale voters were hoodwinked by Lancaster funded hit mailers and signs. Now the truth is coming out and there will be retribution to pay next election. The people are waking up.

          • What makes you think that anyone is waking up? I see the same people raising the same alarms…but see the same people who vote based on name recognition, generated by signs paid for by Wrecks and Company paying as little attention as they always have.

        • parris is just like Vlad ‘The Hacker’ Putin trying to influence Palmdale and its elections and governance.

          We need to be just as vigilant with wrecks & company as we are with Russians out to damage our country.

    • Don’t hope, vote. And make sure when the next elections come along your neighbors, who probably aren’t paying any attention, know that all those signs giving them one choice based on name recognition were paid for by people who want to destroy Palmdale.

      • Republicans in Palmdale were misled by decietful nailers funded by Lancaster Republicans, known as AVRA. Next time, Palmdale Republicans and Democrats need to come together to defeat the Lancaster candidates – Bishop, Hafbauer, and Carrillo. Carrillo may turn out to be ok. Time will tell. But not Bishop and Hafbauer. They sold their souls.

        • Vote against anyone Antelope Valley Republican Assembly AVRA and Republican Central Committee endorse. Look at their leadership – Godfather Visco, DUI Drew, Gas Tax Marvin, AVTA Hickling, Waste Mgmt mouth piece Josh Mann, etc. The party of Trump – Bunch of Lancaster crooks out to destroy Palmdale

        • Is there a Republican group besides AVRA active in Palmdale? I want to get involved to support Republicans who are not Rex or Lancaster stooges. AVRA does not speak for the Repubicans I know.

          • Heck, the Republican party doesn’t speak for Republicans I know. Very few California Republicans really support the craziness the party spews out to satisfy the crazies from the midwest that have taken control of the party.

          • Sad to say Gas Tax Marv and DUI Drew have hijacked AVRA and Republican central committee. I have been a Republican all my life but will be voting against any one they endorse from the party of Trump.

          • Bishop and Hofbauer supported that gas tax too. You can’t just blame Marv for that. They’re all guilty. AVRA is a sham

  7. Austin Bishop is a condidate​ for this position and may his claim is personal.In fact city of the Palmdale under supervision of recent Mayer it has progressed engineering and most importantly safety level is in a good function order.Following Mayer schedule​ soon Palmdale will be in row of the cities such as Santa Clarita.Which we protiate the fact hard working of the Mayer and even request to be elected as one of the best Mayers of the California.Proudly we can say we have high standard services and beautiful city with minimum crime level and all is for responsible and educated Mayer this city has it.

  8. Sad to see Lancaster vs Palmdale. Instead we should work on being a better community not a better city. But Parris would rather fight than let any kindness drip from his mouth. That’s the truth and reality.

  9. We all love our Mayor. Just because you in Lancaster have a idiot for a Mayor. Leave Ours alone. Old Rex should be the one that needs to be held accountable for his misdeeds! !

  10. Innocent until proven guilty is something you will never hear from the lips of Parris until the day he is finally charged for his misdeeds.

  11. Who said he’s hiding?? I just saw him on TV, giving a wonderful speech at Sheriff’s station, at Officer Richard Hammack’s memorial.

    • He’s not hiding. He was just at our ribbon cutting yesterday may 11th…. he was awesome!

  12. This is a witch hunt by Parris. I hope he has been above board when they look into his matters. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Ledford has been our mayor and has been working for us the people. I have no complaints.

  13. After a week in hiding he has a Long Beach criminal defense attorney make a statement for him.

    That seems about right…

    • Vacation is hiding? Oh Foolco, give it up. You’ve already proven that you are worthy to be on one of Rex’s useless commissions. Remove your nose from his back end and take yoylur seat at the table of scoundrels.

      • He hasn’t been hiding. He joined us in a ribbon cutting yesterday. People get a life in Lancaster. We should be working together not against.

        • Don’t forget. You’re replying to a nonsense post by Shane Falco, the AV’s resident irritant.

          • He’s not a resident. He lives in Santa Clarita. Much like Wrecks, his flapping his pie hole about Palmdale is just an ego thing. He wanted to be a bully like his dad, but even the LASD recognized he was too dented in the head, so he has to make do as best he can from his keyboard.

          • Most of these morons are from outside Palmdale. Parris, Mercy, Foolco. They have a few recruits in Palmdale, three of who are politicos who want to be mayor but can’t win in an election.

    • Good for Jim. I hope he sues the heck out of Rex and his crooked minions after he clears his name. I hope Rex’s victims all join that lawsuit!

      • Yes, yes, yes! It is long overdue that Parris get what’s coming to him for his character destruction tactics. The same goes for Mercy, the DUI Republicsn operative, and the rest of the Lancaster slimeballs. On the bright side, this FM has exposed Austin Bishop and Steve Hoffbauer for who they really are.

        • Yes, Mayor Ledford should also definitely sue state BOE employee DUI Drew who was probably using public resources to do dirty political work for AVRA and Rex. And the whole AVRA gang – Gas Tax Marv, AVTA Hickling, waste management’s Josh Mann, Slumlord Malhi, etc – people that have been slandering him for years in their efforts to destroy and take over Palmdale.