/*Robert Rizzo*/ and seven other /*Bell*/ city officials were arrested in September, accused of taking unlawful salaries and illegally procuring excess public money from the city.
Since his arrest, Rizzo has been held at Men's Central Jail in downtown. Rizzo's attorney filed papers on Monday seeking release on $2 million bail, but he cannot be released until convincing the court that his bail money comes from legitimate sources.
Rizzo is charged with dozens of counts for misuse of public funds, conflict of interest and falsification of public records. The allegations of corruption date back to 2005.
The city of Bell is trying to deal with the massive scandal. On Monday, the city council tried to hold a regularly scheduled meeting, but it had to be canceled because four council members, who were arrested and face criminal charges, did not show up.
Councilman Lorezno Velez was the only one to show up at the meeting. Velez is the only council member who was not arrested.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that /*Attorney General Jerry Brown*/ wants a court-appointed monitor to investigate the city government. He wants that monitor to investigate any irregularities and interview city employees in order to protect the interests of Bell residents.
Rizzo's bail hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
