Imperfect Paradise: An LA Commission created to tackle city government scandals is being stymied

Norco 80

LAist Studios

True Crime

4.2 • 887 Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A charter reform commission was created in 2024 in response to multiple Los Angeles city government scandals, including the leak of a racist tape featuring City Council President Nury Martinez. One of the commission’s aims was to modify the LA charter, which is basically the city’s constitution. But reports indicate that this commission is struggling to do its job. There are calls for transparency around its very structure. LAist Watchdog Correspondent Jordan Rynning joins Imperfect Paradise to talk about the commission’s issues and how this work will affect the lives of Angelenos.

This LAist podcast is supported by Amazon Autos. Buying a car used to be a whole day affair. Now, at Amazon Autos, you can shop for a new, used, or certified pre-owned car whenever, wherever. You can browse hundreds of vehicles from top local dealers, all in one place. Amazon.com/autos

Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support comes from Pasadena Playhouse, presenting Julia Masley's solo show,
0:04.4	Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
0:06.3	where she turns the audience's problems into surreal, side-splitting theater.
0:10.6	Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, is on stage at Pasadena Playhouse beginning October 15th.
0:16.0	Tickets at Pasadenaplayhouse.org.
0:18.6	Support for LAIS comes from the American French Film Festival, presenting 70 new French
0:23.7	films and series premieres with English subtitles, beginning October 28th at the Directors Guild
0:29.0	of America in Hollywood. More at T.A.T.A.F.org. You're listening to Imperfect Paradise.
0:35.3	I'm Antoniazri Jito. Long-time listeners of Imperfect Paradise may remember a series we reported out called Nuri and The Secret Tapes.
0:43.4	It was the first interview former president of the L.A. City Council, Nuri Martinez, did after a major scandal broke out over the leak of a tape featuring a private conversation, including the former president,
0:55.6	two city council members, and the Federation of Labor President, all powerful Latino leaders
1:00.7	in the city. The tape included racist remarks and the rare unbarnished view of how politicians
1:06.3	talk behind closed doors about things like redistricting.
1:10.7	This scandal, we cannot underscore what a big deal it was.
1:13.6	It caused a firestorm.
1:15.6	Martinez and the Fed president resigned.
1:17.6	One of the council members was turned out and the other lost in the next election.
1:21.6	But beyond that, and sort of even more pervasively,
1:25.6	it weakened Angelino's trust in city government.
1:28.9	And one of the city government's big responses, not just to that scandal, but a series of
1:33.2	other scandals as well, which we will get into in this episode, was the creation of a charter
1:38.3	reform commission.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from LAist Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of LAist Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.