Past City Council Candidate Sues City To Stop Elections, Reopen Nominations

Pasadena Attorney Philip Koebel told the Pasadena City Council tonight during public comments he has asked a federal judge to stay the upcoming City Council and Mayoral elections and reopen the nominations period on behalf of his client, James Lomako, because the public was not made aware of the alleged City Hall embezzlement scheme prior to the closure of nominations.

The fraud referred to by Koebel is a case in which the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has arrested three people for allegedly embezzling as much as $6.4 million from city coffers over an 11-year period.

The news of the arrests of the suspects occurred after the nomination period for the city elections had closed.

Lomako is a past City Council candidate and says in the suit that had he known of the alleged fraud, he would have run for office in the current election.

The filing claims that by withholding public knowledge of the fraud, city officials acted improperly “under color of authority” and deprived Lomako of his civil rights.

Pasadena Now has obtained the court documents and is examining the actual filing which was recorded with the Court and publish more complete details early Tuesday.