Sheila Kuehl won't face criminal charges after 2-year corruption investigation
LOS ANGELES - After a nearly two-year investigation, the state Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday it has declined to pursue any criminal charges against former Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl stemming from allegations of political corruption.
Prosecutors also declined to file any charges against Patti Giggans, director of the nonprofit Peace Over Violence. The investigation was centered on allegations that Kuehl, a longtime close friend of Giggans, helped steer a series of no-bid Metro contracts to Peace Over Violence while she served on the Metro Board of Directors.
According to the state Attorney General's Office, the investigation also found insufficient evidence to file any charges over allegations that Kuehl and Giggans were both tipped off about planned sheriff's department raids of their homes and offices on Sept. 14, 2022.
Supervisor Kuehl investigation: Court docs reveal she was tipped off before raid
New details continue to emerge in the investigation involving Los Angeles County Supervisor Shelia Kuehl amid a corruption probe. On Friday, FOX 11 obtained court documents that allege Supervisor Kuehl was tipped off by her staff prior to her Santa Monica home being raided on Sept. 14. MORE: https://bit.ly/3dBkm2q
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl served with search warrant in public corruption investigation
Sheriff's investigators also served search warrants that day at the offices of Metro and the Metro Office of Inspector General.
The Attorney General's Office took over the investigation in September 2022 from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Public Corruption Unit. Some critics at the time had assailed the unit as targeting political opponents of then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who strongly denied the allegation.
Kuehl was a vocal critic of Villanueva during his time as sheriff.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Alex Villanueva asking AG to investigate LA Co. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl after she was tipped off of home raid
Kuehl denied any involvement in the awarding of Metro contracts for Peace Over Violence to operate a sex-harassment hotline for transit riders and employees, saying she was unaware of them and did not vote on them as a member of the Metro Board of Directors. The contracts totaled more than $800,000.