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Sheriff Baca Denies Role In Donor Dispute

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A report says Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told detectives to launch a criminal investigation against a tenant of one of his well-connected supporters and contributors.

Investigators Say Dispute Civil, Not Criminal: KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou Reports

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A story the Los Angeles Times posted on its website Sunday said the department's investigation targeted a man who was in a Beverly Hills rental dispute with longtime Baca donor Ezat Delijani (dell-ih-JAH'-nee).

The Times says the investigation was outside Baca's jurisdiction and Beverly Hills police had already concluded there was no crime involved.

The story says the sheriff sent a handwritten note to his chief of detectives requesting the probe and detectives gave it a special "rush" status normally reserved for serious crimes.

Baca told the Times he had little personal involvement in the probe and Delijani received no special treatment.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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