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California

TexasTowelie

(112,445 posts) Mon Jan 16, 2017, 09:59 PM Jan 2017

Ex-Fire Marshal Sues Los Angeles, Alleges Quid Pro Quo Deal Between Mayor and Firefighters Union

Former L.A. Fire Marshal John Vidovich has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging he was "unlawfully and unceremoniously ousted from his job" in August 2016. Vidovich claims that he was tasked with cleaning up the stubbornly antiquated Fire Protection Bureau and clearing its backlog of overdue inspections — and that he was retaliated against by the firefighters union. But the most intriguing allegation in the lawsuit is that Frank Lima, then-president of firefighters union UFLAC, and Mayor Eric Garcetti made "a quid pro quo exchange."

Garcetti would help the Fire Department quietly usher Vidovich out the door, according to the lawsuit, and UFLAC would endorse Garcetti and spend up to $350,000 to support his re-election campaign.

The complaint, filed on Monday, states:

In exchange for Mayor Garcetti's agreement to ratify the union's retaliation against {Vidovich} by removing him from his job as fire marshal, the union agreed to endorse the mayor for re-election in March 2017, and further agreed to contribute to his re-election campaign.

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