The late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley was once caught steering city contracts to his son. Confronted by hard-boiled Chicago reporters, Mayor Daley looked straight at them and said, “If a father can’t help his son, who can he help?”
That ended the controversy. Chicago government was legendary for corruption, everybody knew about it, but the potholes got fixed and so did the parking tickets, and as long as the city worked, people were fine with it.
If everything was working in Los Angeles County, people might be fine with the same kind of corruption.
Everything’s not fine. Everything’s worse, from crime to homelessness to the jail system to the probation department to the Public Health department to the rest of the list of things that are causing people to pack up and leave L.A. County.
But not everybody knows about the corruption. For example, did you know that one of the five members of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, who is running for re-election, is guilty of brazen and long-standing nepotism that has routed millions of taxpayer dollars to her close relatives?
Janice Hahn was sworn in as a newly elected supervisor in December 2016 surrounded by family. Her brother, Superior Court judge and former L.A. mayor James Hahn, administered the oath of office as her two sons, Danny and Mark Baucum, looked on.
Hahn immediately hired Mark and his wife Jaclyn, who both held the title of Supervisor’s Deputy II in 2017. Mark was paid total compensation, including benefits, of $154,712. Jaclyn collected $89,445, possibly reflecting less than a full year on the county payroll.
Mark and Jaclyn received raises in 2018, bringing their total compensation to $185,239 and $147,627, respectively. In 2019 they were bumped up to the title of Supervisor’s Deputy III, with pay and benefits totaling $199,875 and $154,772.
Starting in 2020, Jaclyn moved over to the County Health Agency with the title of “Deputy, Management Programs.” Her total compensation rose to $186,682, then $232,001 in 2021, then $267,747 in 2022.
Mark was promoted to “Supervisor’s Assistant Chief of Staff,” with total compensation in 2020 of $224,992 and in 2021, $281,580. In 2022 he became Chief of Staff ― base salary $201,413, total compensation $323,729.
Hat tip to Redstate’s Jennifer Van Laar for digging out the details of the Hahn family business. Compensation figures are available at data.lacounty.gov.
What does the law say about this?
According to the California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 87, titled, “Anti-Nepotism,” nepotism is defined as “an employee’s use of influence or power to hire, transfer, or promote an applicant or employee because of a personal relationship,” and it is “expressly prohibited in the state workplace.”
Whether that applies equally to the county workplace may be in question, but last October the L.A. County Department of Human Resources issued a memo to all department heads about “nepotism and personal relationships.” Under the county’s policies, nepotism is prohibited, but “requests for exceptions” can be made in writing.
Perhaps what Janice Hahn has been doing since she took office as a supervisor in late 2016 is legal, technically. There may be a letter in the file that she wrote and approved herself.
It’s still not okay. Including the salary and benefits that Hahn earned as an elected official, in six years these three members of the Hahn family have collected pay and benefits totaling more than $4.3 million.
And she wants to raise your taxes. Hahn told our editorial board that she supports putting another tax increase for homelessness programs on the ballot this fall.
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Who’s running against her? Two people who both told our editorial board they absolutely oppose another tax increase for homelessness programs.
The candidates are Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank and former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Villanueva has deep knowledge of the challenges facing the county, especially in public safety and homelessness. John Cruikshank has impressive knowledge of local government, housing issues, small business challenges and infrastructure needs, and he has strongly supported taxpayer rights.
Only 4th District residents may vote in this race, but everyone in L.A. County will be better off if the Hahn dynasty is brought to an end.
Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter @Susan_Shelley