Martin Watch
The buzz continues that we should expect word at some point that LA County Federation of Labor Secretary-Treasurer Martin Ludlow will resign, in light of a recent Federal-County campaign probe. However, there is no confirmation from Ludlow or the County Fed that he will indeed, accept a reported plea agreement and step down. We'll keep an eye on it and as soon as we know, you'll know. With today being a government holiday, its likely not much will happen.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 2/20/2006 12:10:00 AM
51 Comments:
Start getting that resume ready, Martin.
Hi Everyone, my name is Martin. Would you like pepperoni on your pizza, miss?
For better or for worst, Martin Ludlow is in the midst of making history, and the Los Angeles Times is shaping it. Outside of political insiders and the organized Labor community, this is not big news!!
It really sucks that Martin is in worse trouble than other politicians who've all done the same thing. So I agree there must be more to the story than we're hearing. I really like Martin Ludlow too. He has a great background.
Not to mention that the LA Times is the worst paper in the city. How sad that a city this large is stuck with the likes of them.
Resign, Martin, resign!
To the prosecutors- Sing, Martin, sing!
Word is Martin will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce his resignation. He will also say that he will fight the charges and cooperate with the Feds. He's wrangling with the Feds and their stipulation that he not hold an office for 10 years.
We'll see. Good luck.
Anybody remember how tall Jimmy Hoffa was?
I think he was about 5 feet, five inches.
It's too late for Martin to cooperate with the Feds. That ship has come and gone is now docked at Janet Humphreys landing. Sooner or later Antonio's arrogance, which obiviously has filtered down, was going to get to his team.
It's amazing that Antonio, Parke and Ludlow orchestrated all these false rumors against perceived political opponents, yet look who's feet are in the frying pan now. Jimmy Hahn, never indicted; Nick Pacheco, never indicted; Mothers of East L.A., never indicted; Ricardo Torres, never indicted; La Colectiva, never indicted - and all this after at least 8 investigations. Karma is a bitch and payback is a motherfucker. You want to see how ruthless Ricardo Torres can get, those mailers were just a warm up - this thing isn't ending until Parke ends up in shackles.
So Antonio wins office claiming that Hahan is dirty because he is surrounded by people that are under "investigation" for improperly solicited campaign contributions and meanwhile in his own house the man who is "like a son to me" is apparently going to actually plead guilty to campaign contribution issues. Hmmm.
The LA Times did a great scoop on this story cause no one else had it. Although I don't like the fat that their headlines are over the top especially when it comes to LAPD got to give McGreevy credit for good reporting. Now I want to see them go after Antonio's baggage.
7:15
Don't you get it? This IS Antonio's baggage. Ludlow is a born and bred Villaraigosa operative - from the moment he landed in L.A.. You don't think Fabian Nunez - the other politcal director at the County Fed - did the same thing? You don't think Cindy Montanez is benefitting from the same illegal contributions right now? Or for that matter Huizar and Monica Garcia. There is a pattern here - just investigate anybody who's received the combined endorsements of Villaraigosa, Nunez and Ludlow and who have Skelton as thier consultant. Pretty easy formula to follow. For any fed prosecutor, this is a career maker.
Sooner or later one of these "ghost workers" or "ghost voters" was going to get popped for domestic abuse, drunk driving, drug possession or some other calamity that tends to afflict labor folk in disproportianate numbers. And right when the prosecutor says I've got you for 5 years the "ghost" will say, "hey, I've got a story for you if you can knock that sentence down to five months." What amateurs!
what I said is that Martin will "say" he's cooperating but we know his chance has come ang gone.
AV is sweating like an illegal alien at a border crossing because if Martin talks, guess who's going down. That's right. AV, Fabian and Parke. They will subpoena everyone who got paid for Martin's campaign including Sue Burnside (who ran his field operation). Wow, glad i didn't work that campaign.
I thought Shalman ran Ludlow's campaign, not Skelton.
Warren Furutani is another Assembly candidate who is benefiting from the collusionary efforts of the 4 headed monster... I wonder how this will affect his campaign.
Shallman did run Martin's campaign.
RICO....ANTONIO VILLABABOSO
RICO....JOSE HUIZARRAIGOSA
RICO....humpty, dumpty MONICA GARCIA
U.S. Attorney is defintely listening !
YEAH !!!!!!!!!!
PUBLIC INTEGRITY DIVISION !
GO GET EM !
YUP... YUP...YUP
Anyone who knows and has worked with Martin knows he is one of the good guys. Unfortunately, Im sure the charges are true. What does that tell us? To me, it says that politics is so corrupt that if you play at the high levels, unless you are extremely virtuous, you end up playing the game and doing what it takes to win. Which means fundraising. When yopu combine that with labor, it gets really ugly. Labor needs to separate itself from the dempcratic party and vica versa. This alliance is getting people in trouble and certainly not helping most Californians. Specificlly, public employee unions have been a disater for the state and marginally good for the employees. Why? bedcause the state will not pay for their pensions and health care much longer, it will lead to the publics increased anger against those unions, and eventually lead either to massive privatization or layoffs.
Anon 9:11 AM said: "Shallman did run Martin's campaign."
So why are people on here saying Parke has something to do with the charges?
This entire thing is all part of a larger scheme by the Hilfenhaus clan to shift political power within labor and in the Democratic Party. Forcing Ludlow out just fits his grand scheme for Laborers 300 to get "his guy" in as head while he uses that to push his wife for the central committee seats via the Assembly race.
Scheming as usual in the Hilfen-House.
Hey, 9:42 -- Tearing down public employees only makes it easier for private employers to screw the rest of us. Public employees deserve our thanks for helping to lift all boats -- because when teachers, firefighters, etc., get health care and basic retirement benefits, it makes it easier for everybody else to achieve the same. The only people who benefit from trashing public workers are a tiny elite that is so rich they will never need retirement and health care benefits themselves. Don't trash teachers and firefighters, just so a billionaire can have an extra yacht.
Did thet EVER trash teachers and fire fighters??? NO! Your back to the Democrats talking points.
Hilfenhaus? I think you give them too much credit. He's a bit of a joke - and a blowhard. Not someone who can organize a coup like this.
If you want to take away health care and retirement benefits from public employees, you're trashing teachers and firefighters. Or did you want to select specific public employee groups to screw over, and leave others alone? That won't work.
Ludlow is going down. The only thing left to decide is if the Feds will shrink their prison garb to fit him or will they try to tailor make his new jail "uni" for his short ass!
Martin:
In all honesty, I think it is time your pull a Tamye Faye Baker. Starts crying and subtly admit to the charges.
You are no ready to be a pastor. You'll look great in a zebra suit.
By the way, I hear Rockard Delgadillo is rejoicing over these charges because it takes the spotlight off of him for once.
11:04 Yea, Hilfenhaus is a blowhard and certainly thinks highly of himself but he has been angling for some time now to wedge Martin out the door and "promote" a Laborers 300 as head of the county fed.
From what I have read on here and heard from conversations around the water cooler he has been twisting every arm in town to get them to fall behind his wife Lyn Shaw Hilfenhaus for state assembly.
People are getting pissed at feeling like they're being cornered. That doesn't even mention that his union is the only donor to his wife's assembly campaign. An endorsement made without even inviting any opposing candidates from what I hear (and there are 3).
This is not what the unions rank and file want happening with their money.
So yea, he may be a blowhard but a blowhard who needs to be put in his place, which if he keeps going will be right back in jail.
Hey, let's make fun of Ludlow's height! That's orginal.
I kinda feel sorry for Martin but he messed around a lot of folks when he became CM. Serves him good.
On second thought, maybe i don't feel sorry for him. Nah, he gets what he deserves. I wonder if any of his staff members are cooperating with the investigation (those that worked on his campaign). Interesting to see if they have his back.
Is that a picture of Martin singing?
And, people are obviously upset with Martin....after all, he broke the law. The defense everyone else does it does not fly. This guy screwed with the democratic process. He should be punished.
Explain why Rascon would take a $100,000 pay cut to be at the fed.
why isn't anyone commenting on the profound discrimination from Cooley's office. Pierce O'Donnell get's a much lighter sentence for something far more serious. O'Donnell is white - Ludlow is black. Not too hard to figure out what's going on here.
Its not the DA's office (Cooley), right? But the Dept. of Justice and Dept. of Labor who are leading this charge.
hilfenhaus is a blowhard and laborers 300 is a marginalized part of the dissenter union block. no way he has enough votes or juice to get this job. the only reason his name is even mentioned is because hoofenmouth is commenting anonymously on his behalf.
these guys are a joke. name one time they've been able to move the fed to a candidate of their choosing.
maria elena can. seiu can. hell, even UFCW can. but laborers 300 is a personal fiefdom that draws very little influence in the fed.
it doesn't matter who's leading the charge - one man is white the other is black - guess who's getting the harsher sentence for a lesser deed
you folks are so blind to what is going on - and so intent on doing in your enemies - that you are letting a black man be the victim of selective prosecution
I guarantee Maria Elena knew all along what was going on and she's next on the list. This is a sad state of LA politics but I think Martin is the fall guy. Antonio knows a hell of a lot. His quote to the media that "I didn't know anything about this" is bullshit and we all know it. GO AFTER IT MCGREEVY.
LA TIMES
Sources familiar with the case say federal prosecutors have offered Ludlow a plea deal that would bar him from union leadership but spare him jail time in order to resolve accusations that the Service Employees International Union Local 99 secretly spent $53,000 to help elect him to the Los Angeles City Council in 2003.
On Friday, Ludlow said in a statement that he would take the weekend to consider his options; prosecutors have given him until Tuesday to make up his mind.
For Villaraigosa, the pressure on Ludlow and his possible departure from the County Federation of Labor may be most wrenching on a personal level. As the mayor's comments indicated, the men are long, close friends, and the federal government's pursuit of Ludlow has shocked and alarmed some in Villaraigosa's inner circle.
Moreover, if Ludlow does leave, not only would it deprive the mayor of a trusted ally, it also would do so precisely when Villaraigosa is preparing to launch a two-front conflict with his old friends in labor.
Next month the mayor, a former labor organizer, will unveil his first budget, and early indications are that city employees' unions — which are part of the federation, though often with divergent interests from the other members — will be unhappy, denied pay increases that many have sought.
Black - White. If he's guilty, he's guilty. Martin should not have fucked over folks. Serves him right.
Serve his ass up!
And Martin is only black when it's convenient.
Be careful Jim,
"We backed Martin for election the last time and we will stand behind whatever decision he makes now. "
Martin is a prime example of what happens when you practice blind faith. Everything Antonio has ever touched turns to shit - in his personal and public life (I wouldn't say professional life because Tony the Liar didn't end up with a profession.) The State Budget 1999 -2000; CD 14; UTLA, he didn't turn out to be much of an organizer; Ameriquest; and now Martin and the County Fed. You all know about his personal life already.
Tomorrow is the day that Martin will "face the music", "pay the piper", "square off with the devil" - whatever suits you . Martin Ludlow will be sacrificed for all of "labor-kind". I wonder what he is having for his last supper? I wonder who is at this last supper - Antonio?, Skelton?, Huizar?, Fabian?, Cindy (playing the role of Mary Magdalen), or maybe Maria Elena can play that role.
Martin is the sacrificial lamb but Antonio's team will be burdened by this cross forever - labor folk have never been credited with being the sharpest tools in the shed. Now we know why. What morons.
it's sickening how racist so many of you posters are.
Anon 5:09 PM--
Who do you work for? Kevin Murray? Mark Ridley-Thomas? Burke? Bobbie Parks?!?!?!
All these "great" black leaders are crap. They're lucky if anyone recognizes them 10 feet outside of their districts. Martin was a coallition builder, who rose to the top labor position in the state, in a state where labor makes or breaks governors (ask Terminator). Martin has done more to raise the stock of black politicians in LA since Tom Bradley. Ask anyone with a sense of objectivity to prove that comment wrong.
all of martins staffers work for MAV now. aint that a shoker!
Anon 8:31pm
I moved to LA six years ago and was shocked by how terrible some of the local pols are - and Im from Chicago!
Yvonne Burke, Maxine Waters, Ridley Thomas, and Molina are four of the worst Ive ever seen. They are no different from the Tom Delays. Actually they are, they end up screwing over the people they purport to represent! How many times do we see them steer contracts to family/friends, hire relatives, and screw over the community?
Parks seems okay. At least he stands up for his principles. Dont know too much about Murray though. Ludlow seems like he got caught up in a machine way too complicated for his own good. Too bad for him.
As for the others, too bad their constituents are too blind to tell their face from their own asses. Serves them and us right to keep voting these schmucks back into office.
Bernie Parks doesn't have any issues, his wife does. Bobbie dictates everything he does. Since becoming CM in 2003, that consisted of a personal vendeta on Mayor Poopy (Hahn). That all ended in May last year. Since then he's done nothing, besides getting his name in the paper for a shady real-estate deal in his district (now why don't they go after him?)
Murray has done nothing in the State Senate. He wanted to move into CD10 to challenge Ludlwo when his term expired in 2007. But he was too chicken-shit to take on Wesson, so he'll wait until CM Wesson replaces Burke on the County Board in three years.
Martin is a powerful and visionary leader for the Union. Although I'm not in lockstep with the Union philosophy, Martin is the best person to take over after Miguel. I think Charles Lester is behind all this stuff, since he was left behind in the appointment portion. Martin can weather this storm and come out stronger than before.
Go Martin... and the rest of you with your anti-views...shut the heck up and offer some solutions. Its easy to say what your against, yet so hard to say what your for.
Hey Joe Mama
Here's a solution...
let's elect people with integrity.
What am I for?...
cleaning up local politics, starting at the top - Villaraigosa, all the way down to Monica Garcia, the current school board candidate.
What solutions do you want offered - union dues were stolen and a felony was committed. Should Martin just get community service? And Martin can't weather this storm - it is the perfect storm. Wait until you find out who ratted Ludlow out. It's hilarious! But the funny part is that this is only the start of Hurricane season in L.A. politics. You thought New Orleans had it bad, wait and see what's coming for Antonio's Team.
11:04 I agree.
Is that Alger giving Hilfenhaus too much credit? That sweaty fat blowhard could never pull this off. He is a real big joke and nasty as Englander. Don't think because his wife is running against you that he is bright enough to pull of a coup of any sort.
And no, I'm no Alger fan, just a long time Mayor Sam reader who can see what's going on.
anon said.. Martin has done more to raise the stock of black politicians...
What a shame now Martin has become an embarrassement to black people. He'll always be labeled a crook and who can trust him. Although we all know Antonio will appoint him to some committee or help him get a job, that is if Martin doesn't turn on him and save his own ass to FEDS.
6:44 AM -
Doesnt it anger you more to realize that there are other black and latino politicians that are much more corrupt, yet nobody is "singing" about them?
Ludlow took shady money from a union. Who else in this city hasn,t?
Oh and Pete I passed your pimple on the ass comment to Sergio. You are a never-has-been with the ability to sell out Labor for Uncle Joe whenever asked.
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