Bell Officials In Court For Arraignment

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eight current and former officials accused of looting millions of dollars from the blue-collar Los Angeles suburb of Bell are headed to court to face charges of misappropriation of public funds.

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The eight, who were arrested last month, were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning in Los Angeles Superior Court.

They include ousted City Manager Robert Rizzo, who was paid an annual salary and compensation package of $1.5 million to run a city of about 40,000 residents where one in six people live in poverty.

Four City Council members who were paying themselves nearly $100,000 a year are also among those charged.

The scandal has provoked nationwide outrage and led to numerous investigations.

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