LADWP Gets New Chief Just One Day After FBI Raid
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The L.A. Department of Water and Power got a new chief Tuesday, just one day after the agency was raided by the FBI.
The LADWP Board of Commissioners appointed Marin L. Adams as the new general manager after he was nominated to the post by Mayor Eric Garcetti last month.
Adams has been with LADWP for 35 years and is currently its Chief Operating Officer.
The outgoing GM, David Wright, has served as GM since 2016. He announced in June that he would be stepping down in October. However, his departure was moved up at Garcetti's direction.
"I have decided that a change in leadership can't wait another day, and that's why I am acting to begin Marty's service as General Manager effective immediately," Garcetti said in a statement.
This comes after FBI agents served search warrants at LADWP offices in downtown L.A. Monday morning. Agents served the warrants at two different locations: the LADWP headquarters at 111 N Hope St., as well as City Hall.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed to CBS2 that agents were serving the search warrants under a sealed affidavit and would not comment on the nature of the investigation.
LADWP is the largest municipal utility in the U.S., serving more than four million residents.
Last November, the FBI raided L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar's office and home as part of its investigation into possible bribery, extortion and money laundering at L.A. City Hall focusing on huge real estate investments from Chinese companies.
It's unclear if Monday's raids are linked to that case. Huizar has yet to be charged. He has also not resigned. He remains on the city council until his term expires in 2020.
In May, in response to the Huizar investigation, the city council began moving forward an ordinance which would ban candidates running for city elected office from receiving political campaign contributions from real estate developers.
In August of 2015, LADWP reached a $44 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit accusing the agency of over-billing as a result of problematic initiation of a new billing system.
