Good morning and welcome to LA on the Record, City Hall's newsletter. David Zarnizer, joined by my colleague Dakota Smith, brings you the latest in city government.

The Los Angeles City Council finally got a chance to address some of the drama unfolding in the city attorney's office. Heidi Feldstein SotoFour employees have filed retaliation lawsuits against the company so far this year.

Unfortunately for the public, the conversation took place behind closed doors.

When City Council members showed up Friday at about 3:20 p.m., they made one thing clear: They're not going to give Feldstein Soto as much money as she wants as she responds to allegations against her and her office.

Feldstein Soto to the Council Approve a three-year contract The company paid $500,000 to the Miller Barondes law firm to resolve its pending legal matters. Michelle McGinnisMcGinnis, the former head of Feldstein Soto's criminal division, filed a lawsuit against the city in June alleging that Feldstein Soto retaliated against him for reporting “legal and ethical violations” within the department.

City council members gave Feldstein Soto 10 percent of what she asked for, lowering the contract, at least for now, to $50,000. Some council members weren't even willing to pay that much.

The small, three-year contract narrowly passed with an 8-3 vote, with city council members saying Kevin de Leon, Eunises Hernandez and Monica Rodriguez No. One vote less and it would have failed.

In his lawsuit, McGinnis said he was placed on administrative leave and escorted from City Hall East in front of his colleagues. He accused Feldstein Soto of making decisions about who to prosecute based on “personal relationships” and “perceived political interest.”

McGinnis also said she faced a barrage of retaliation after raising concerns about misuse of grant funds, discriminatory treatment of colleagues and “inappropriate drinking” in the workplace.

In June, an aide to Feldstein Soto said the city attorney's office doesn't discuss personnel matters or pending litigation. At the same time, the aide broadly maintained that the allegations were unfounded.

Last month, another employee Sean C. Tyleraccused Feldstein Soto of reading employees' emails without their permission, a claim her office disputed.

Feldstein Soto spokesperson Karen Richardson Her boss said Friday he was “pleased” that the City Council approved the contract. The city attorney remains focused on a set of priorities, including “ending the path of corruption in our government and in her office,” she said.

Feldstein Soto and the Council Chair Paul Krekorian They explained why the contract was cut so dramatically. They declined to say whether the vote was a vote of no confidence in Feldstein Soto.

“I don't think anyone should interpret this one way or the other because this decision was made in a closed session and therefore is confidential,” Krekorian said.

Last month, several employees of the city attorney's office received letters ordering them to meet with lawyers from Miller Barondes as part of an investigation into McGinnis' allegations. They were told they could be fired if they didn't cooperate or give “truthful answers.”

Feldstein Soto's $500,000 request reached the City Council's budget committee on Wednesday, around the time some in City Hall began expressing concern about Miller Barondes' choice to work on a case of such importance to city leadership. LA Human Rights AllianceLawsuits over city and county responses to homelessness.

The City Attorney's Office represented the city in the case, which ended in two settlements and is currently the subject of regular court hearings, while Miller Barondes represented Los Angeles County.

Feldstein Soto spokesman Richardson said last week that there is no conflict because both the city and county are defendants in the suit.

“Miller Barondes investigators have been vetted to ensure they do not have access to any information regarding the Alliance case or any other matters involving both the city and the county,” she said in a written statement.

Three council members were absent from Friday's vote. Katie Yaroslavsky She resigned from her position after explaining through an aide that she had accepted campaign contributions from Miller Barondes' lawyers in 2022.

Lawyers from the firm also donated to Feldstein Soto's 2022 election campaign, which was featured as part of Tyler's damages claim.

Tyler, who works in technology and library services, said in a recent filing that at least three of Miller Barondess' lawyers have donated to the campaign, and he noted that Miller Barondess represented Feldstein Soto when he was a private citizen.

Richardson said none of these issues influenced Feldstein Soto's decision to hire the firm.

Councillors Bob BlumenfieldFeldstein Soto, who heads the powerful Budget Committee, also declined to share her thoughts, citing the confidentiality of the closed-door meeting, but noted she could come back and ask for more money.

Until then, the next step will likely be a formal lawsuit by McGinnis.

current situation

— Off to the DNCOne week after receiving the Olympic flag from the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, mayor Karen Bass Bass will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday and will debate the Democratic presidential nominee. Kamala Harris “It's a responsibility to our children, our families and our future,” said Yusef Robb, a political adviser to the mayor. Several other city council members are also expected to attend, including: Bob Blumenfield, Marquise Harris Dawson, Heather Hat, Imelda Padilla, Karen Price and Monica Rodriguez.

— Olympic Oath: Mayor Bass pledged this week that the city will not evict homeless residents as part of preparations for the 2028 Olympics. “No matter how our strategy evolves, it will always be about housing people first,” she said in an interview. “We will never put people on a bus and kick them out.”

— Fly the flagSpeaking of the Olympics, some community leaders are upset that Bass' team moved Korean and Japanese artifacts from City Hall to display the Olympic and Paralympic flags. The artifacts will be moved to the Convention Center and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Memorial. The cost of the display and relocation is expected to reach $500,000, a fact highlighted by the city's comptroller. Kenneth Mejia.

— East Side IconFormer Los Angeles City Council Member Richard AlatorreThe former California Assemblyman died at age 81, drawing tributes from political leaders across the state. He served in City Hall from 1985 to 1999.

— Housing and Human Rights: Human Rights Watch has sharply criticized Los Angeles' approach to homelessness, saying city policies “criminalize” the city's homeless. Bass' team called the report “disingenuous” and said its authors want to return to a time when “the people” could speak up while “Black and brown people waste away and die on 100-degree sidewalks.”

— Pole PositionMar Vista neighbors have been fighting to stop the Department of Water and Power from removing more than 20 pieces of art mounted on city utility poles.

— RV Restrictions: The City Council took the first step this week to impose new restrictions on RVs in residential areas, commercial streets and near schools. “Our city is not an RV park,” a city council member said. Tracy Parkrepresents parts of the West Side and is pushing for reform.

— Renewed contractWho disciplines LAPD officers? After all, the same lawyers and arbitration experts have been selected multiple times to serve on panels that review misconduct cases, according to a Times report. This week, the Police Commission announced it would reevaluate their eligibility to participate.

Quick Hit

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor's signature homelessness strategy was deployed along Gower Street on Hollywood Boulevard, where approximately 34 people were evacuated indoors. The effort was also deployed on Irwin and Owensmouth streets in the west San Fernando Valley. More than 50 people were evacuated indoors during both operations, according to the mayor's team.

• Plans for next week: Not much! Because the DNC has so many elected officials on it, congressional meetings have been canceled for an entire week. By Friday afternoon, at least four committee meetings had also been canceled.