LA City Council has a new president pro tempore, replacing Curren Price

At Tuesday's meeting, the council voted 12-0, with council members Monica Rodrguez and Curren Price absent, for Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson to fill the position of president pro tempore.

Councilmember Price stepped down as president pro tem last week, June 13, following allegations of misconduct. He also resigned from his council committee assignments – all on the same day that the L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced the charges of embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest.

Councilmember Price stepped down not as an admission of guilt, but not be a distraction to council business. He claims the charges against him are unwarranted.    

"While I navigate through the judicial system to defend my name against unwarranted charges filed against me, the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to the people's business," Price wrote in a letter to Council President Paul Krekorian.

The charges allege Price cast votes on projects involving developers with ties to his wife's consulting firm. He's also accused of embezzling money by having the city cover medical insurance premiums for his now-wife, even though Price was still married to his first wife at the time.

Krekorian has started the suspension of Price from the council, with the rules committee taking up the issue on Friday ahead of council consideration.