Was Mayor Butts Politicking at First Church of God on Inglewood’s Dime?

INSIDE INGLEWOOD-Inglewood’s mayor, James T. Butts, may have made statements exhibiting strong campaign support of 62nd Assembly candidate Gloria Gray at First Church of God in Inglewood. The church was the site of an Inglewood District 1 town hall meeting that had significant promotion, video-taping and logistical support—all of which was funded by the City of Inglewood.

At the event, the mayor made a statement acknowledging a political candidate’s current campaign.

“I also want to congratulate a neighbor and good friend of mine who is running for the 62nd Assembly, Gloria Gray.”

Gray is seen on video standing up and waving as the mayor spoke about her election campaign.

It should be noted that Gray is up for election in five weeks in the very district where the mayor’s apparent electioneering activity took place. That the mayor made such statements, that the city paid for three broadcast-quality cameras replete with professional camera crews and that it was all done at an IRS tax-exempt 501(c)(3) church could prompt an IRS investigation that may well threaten the church’s tax-exempt status owing to strict federal laws governing political activities.

Ironically, the mayor mentioned a story on CityWatch about Gloria Gray’s recent appearance at city hall on Saturday, April 20.

“[Randall Fleming] posted an item on-line that said Gloria Gray had illegally used West Basin funds to campaign. I was at the event he talked about. It’s untrue.”

The “event,” which itself was sponsored by a non-profit with close ties to the mayor as well as Inglewood, was the focus of a story last week titled “Did Gloria Gray Use West Basin Muni Water Funds For Her Assembly Campaign?” 

It should be noted that the story did not state that Gray had “illegally used West Basin funds to campaign.”

When personally asked to qualify his statements at an Inglewood District 4 town hall meeting at Hollywood Park Casino just 30 minutes later, James T. Butts only answered, “Get out of my face, Randall.”

 

(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a weekly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com) 

-cw

 

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 35

Pub: Apr 29, 2014