L.A. Councilmember Curren Price Corruption Case Heads to Trial

Judge rules there is enough evidence for the case against the veteran politician to proceed.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 7:31pm

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A Los Angeles County judge ruled that a corruption case against L.A. City Councilman Curren Price can move forward to trial. Price is accused of embezzlement, perjury, and voting on matters where he had a conflict of interest, including approving sales of land and funding for agencies that had done business with his wife's consulting firm.

Why it matters

The corruption scandal will hang over Price's final year in office as he faces term limits. The case raises questions about transparency and accountability for elected officials, as well as the role of staff in flagging potential conflicts of interest.

The details

Prosecutors allege Price repeatedly voted to approve deals that benefited his wife's consulting company, Del Richardson & Associates. He is also accused of perjury for failing to report his wife's income on disclosure forms and embezzlement for including her on his city health insurance plan before they were legally married. Price's defense argues there is no evidence he knowingly acted with wrongful intent, and that his staff tried to handle the conflict-of-interest issues appropriately.

  • The alleged misconduct took place between 2019 and 2021.
  • Price was charged in June 2023.
  • The judge's ruling came on January 28, 2026.

The players

Curren Price

A Los Angeles City Councilman who has represented South L.A. for more than a decade and faces a term limit this year.

Del Richardson

Price's wife and the owner of a consulting firm that did business with agencies Price voted to approve funding for.

Delphi Smith

One of Price's former staffers who testified about the process used to flag potential conflicts of interest for Price.

Marisa Alcaraz

Another of Price's former staffers who testified about the process used to flag potential conflicts of interest for Price.

Casey Higgins

The Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney prosecuting the case against Price.

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What they’re saying

“If the Councilman voted on something that was a potential conflict, he did so without knowing.”

— Marisa Alcaraz, Former Staffer (Los Angeles Times)

“It's not only hiding. It's trying to create a wall around himself, to create this plausible deniability. It's this ostrich with his head in the sand approach.”

— Casey Higgins, Deputy District Attorney (Los Angeles Times)

“There's been no evidence presented that Mr. Price acted with any wrongful intent. No testimony from any witness … who said Mr. Price acted with willful intent. I've never seen a public corruption case like that in my life.”

— Michael Schafler, Defense Attorney (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

Price is due back in court in March for further proceedings in the case.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges of ensuring transparency and accountability for elected officials, as well as the role that staff can play in either enabling or preventing conflicts of interest. It will be closely watched as it moves forward to trial.