Lawsuit Seeks Halt To Calif. Building Sale

SACRAMENTO (AP) ― A lawsuit is seeking to stop the sale of 11 California office complexes, alleging the process illegally bypassed the state Judicial Council and amounts to an illegal gift of public funds.

The lawsuit was filed against the state Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court on behalf of two people removed earlier this year from a state building authority.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced them because they questioned the long-term consequences of his plan.

The Legislative Analyst's Office has said selling the buildings and renting them back from the new owners will cost taxpayers at least $1.4 billion over 35 years.

The lawsuit says the process ignored the Judicial Council, which has jurisdiction over buildings housing the state's appellate courts.

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