LA City Council President Herb Wesson Speaks On KKK Incident

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles City Council Pres. Herb Wesson voiced his concerns Thursday about threatening comments that were directed towards himself and the council by an attorney.

"You do not threaten a black man that way," Wesson said during a news conference held at City Hall. "In fact, you don't threaten anyone in this country that way. This card was a message to me."

"Our meetings are on television," added Councilman Paul Krekorian. "Children in Los Angeles are seeing this across our city."

During a meeting on Friday at the council's Rules, Election, Intergovernmental Relations and Neighborhood Committee, Wayne Spindler, 46, allegedly submitted a public-comment card that displayed an image of a burning cross, a tree with a person hanging from a noose and a Ku Klux Klan type figure holding a sign with a racial epithet directed at Wesson.

Spindler was escorted out of the meeting and was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

He was held in lieu of $75,000 bail and was released around 10:00 p.m. that evening.

According to Wesson, Spindler's "often harassing and threatening comments have become increasingly worse over time."

In an interview with KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO, Spindler said he doesn't feel that expressing himself in a public forum should have led to charges being filed against him.

The comment card is available for viewing in the public records portion of the City Clerk's Office website, officials said.

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