The Antelope Valley Times

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Former Palmdale mayor pleads guilty in corruption case

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PALMDALE – Former Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford pleaded guilty Thursday to lying about income he illegally received from two consultants, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

“This case illustrates that some public officials are willing to deceive the public for their own greed,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “I want to commend our investigators and prosecutors for their diligent work to uncover this scheme. It is imperative that we all work together to have a clean government.”

Ledford, 67, entered his plea to one count of perjury. He was immediately sentenced to formal probation for two years and ordered to pay $189,800 in restitution.

Ledford was charged in June 2017, just over six months after being elected to his 13th term as Palmdale’s mayor. He subsequently lost his bid for re-election in November 2018. Ledford was charged with co-defendants Kimberly Anne Shaw, 65, and Susan Burgess Miller, 72,  who both were accused of using shell companies to pay Ledford several thousand dollars a month to receive favorable treatment by him. Shaw had been a consultant for the city of Palmdale, and with Miller’s assistance, ran the AERO Institute, which received more than $2 million annually from NASA.

Miller operated a company known as Complex Culture Change Consulting and hired Ledford in 2009. Over a four-year period, AERO Institute paid the consulting firm more than $13,000 every month and the consulting firm, in turn, paid Ledford $5,200 per month. Ledford did not perform any substantive work for AERO Institute and did not report the income he received from AERO Institute on economic disclosure statements, prosecutors said.

Shaw pleaded guilty to one felony count of filing a false tax return in January 2020 and was sentenced to formal probation for three years. Miller pleaded guilty to one felony count of misappropriation of public funds in January 2020 and was sentenced to formal probation for three years.

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50 comments for "Former Palmdale mayor pleads guilty in corruption case"

  1. Term Limits!!!!! is needed in Palmdale to prevent corruption by power hunger politicians and create fair elections. Please push Palmdale City for Election reform measures:

    Term Limits(2) – Limits on campaign contributions from Developers, Unions and Big Donors – Free campaign statements for Ballot – Free candidate video on city Website – Require 2 city sponsored debates and one candidate interview per office on City Website and TV.

    Create an “even playing field” in AV!

    Ledford could of retired from running and became a real consultant in local Aerospace and Economic Development/Construction and made millions $$$$. But power of the office got the best of him to make not so smart decisions of “No Disclosure” backroom deals. We need to prevent this from happening again with AV cities along with the need for District Council Elections in Lancaster like Palmdale City so AV residents get true, fair and honest representation. It’s common sense that reform that is badly needed in our Valley, demand it!

    • Unlike Gilley, Rex, Runner, Visco, etc. Ledford did not make millions. He did more for his residents without lining his pockets than most. It is still a head scratcher as to why after all Rex’s accusations not one of the accused ended up in jail or being found guilty on the major charges. If it was so clear it should have been a slam dunk. Things that make you go hmmmmmm.

      • How many years did it take to bring this to a close?

        “Justice delayed is justice denied.” -William E. Gladstone

        If Rex had anything to do with this it was probably to sideline former Mayor Ledford and not to seek justice. Rex does things like that.

        • Megalopolis minded is Rex so I wonder if combining the two cities is still the agenda? It would lower our crime rate if these two cities were merged. I would feel safer in Lancaster at least.

          • Don’t the citizens of both cities have to vote on combining Palmdale with its bedroom community aka Lancaster?

            Walked down blvd this AM after a doctor’s appointment and it looks like it’s returning to what it was before the renovation…empty stores, seediness, every business has a bunch of paper signs taped in the windows like in an old, tired business district.

            Why would anyone want to invest in a business on the blvd only to have to close down within a year like so many before it? Are the rents extremely low or what?

        • Rex is the main person behind the destruction of Ledford, as he was behind the destruction of Raymond Lee Jennings, Johnathan Ervin, David Grejeda, Randy Floyd, and Esmeralda Jorge. The common thread in all of these cases is Rex making accusations that removed these people from his path. Only Jennings was non political. The rest were in his way as he was trying to take total control of the Antelope Valley. Ledford was the last piece of the puzzle.

          Rex wins. We all lose.

      • I live in and do business with COP. Ledford got off to easy.. He’s a fraud and a crook.

        I don’t give a damn about Rex. I don’t even go to Lancaster

  2. … exclusive right to corruption in America belongs, solely to big-shot, fat cat politicians! Little politicians aren’t supposed to do that!

    I am outraged – OUTRAGED, at the audacity of this upstart Palmdale mayor, how dare he, helping himself to what should rightfully belong, only to the Bidens, the Obamas, the Clintons, Pelosis, Harris, Schiff and Feinstein!

    He must be punished!

    So, as to prove beyond any shadow of doubt we’re not beknumed racializing NAZIville Caucasian supremo-vistadors, bent upon parading ourselves around town in our “white” corora-virus masks, hopelessly caught up in over-consumption, I vote all taxpayer funds embezzled by Mr. Ledford to be gifted to, Maxine Waters!

    Rightfully so!

    So, she can continuing fan the flames of racial division, igniting race wars for the mainstream media, from the comfort and luxury of the back seat of, her brand new Cadillac!

    With all the optional extras!

  3. LONGTIME POLITICAL PALMDALE ACTIVIST, MARTA KESTER WAS ALWAYS CONVINCED OF LEDFORD’S CROOKEDNESS AND DOGGED HIM IN MANY WAYS…

    MARTA HAS FINALLY BEEN VINDICATED…

    REST IN PEACE NOW LOVELY MARTA…

    • Yes, Marta Williamson-Kester was all over former Palmdale Mayor Ledford. Many memories of assisting Marta with several issues she had with Ledford and the City of Palmdale such as Ledford’s involvement in the purchase, financing, and construction of the Antelope Valley Courthouse, the city’s control over the HOA’s at city-owned mobile home parks for seniors, retaliation against Larry Schaff, a senior citizen and World War II Veteran, who faced criminal charges when he was attacked for trying to form an independent HOA, the deaths of two children of the Maripolis family who died in a house fire, cause of death was “homicide” allegedly the fire was suspicious, alleged to have involved a Palmdale police officer, Marta, myself and others demonstrated, just to name some of what Marta was investigating. RIP Marta! We miss you!

  4. I know Jim, worked with him at Lockheed and Rockwell to be honest he’s not that smart to rip off the Feds over some stupid small amount of money. The real crooksters have not been caught. On the County level Antonovich had his hand in Ray Watt’s and Jim Tatum’s pocket real deep to the tune of ten’s of thousands of dollars to get Lake LA up and going. On the West side Peterson Publishing was feeding Antonovich to get the Ritter and City Ranch projects up and going and the millions that would be made. The Antelope Valley has always been full of crooks, they are here now building Solar Projects and buying up water rights to Littlerock Creek. Time to put the Palmdale
    water Board in jail they are all crooks.

      • “Hero?” You clearly have a very low requirement for the title… Must be why you felt obligated to defend Gaetz.

    • Republican Trump set the bar very high for corruption, lying, (he still is telling the Big Lie) and damage to the country. Biden and the Democrats will have to do “Cleanup on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue like he and Obama did after W.

      A Democrat would need many people like to you back him/her to top Trump.

      I suspect you’ve excused Trump for the insurrection among other things. Do you believe the Big Lie Bubbles?

      • Republican leadership work to take Ledford out. What’s up with that? I thought Republicans supported each other. I remember Ledford remaining silent about Marvin Christ homeless tax although he worked behind the scene to kill it in Lancaster. Go figure!!

        • Marvin’s so called homeless tax was a rouse to raise money for police to arrest the homeless.

  6. This was a state charge, is he still up for Federal charge on income evasion? It’s not clear if Jimbo claimed his no show job on his Federal and for that matter state returns.

    • Isn’t it funny how all these big charges were made but nothing sticks? You don’t think the feds would be all over this if there was evidence? I take it your new to these parts. This has happened many times before. This is AV Politics 101 brought to you by Professor Rex.

    • If Mayor Ledford is up for income tax evasion, look out Donald Trump. He was so crooked his lawyer went to prison for doing his dirty work. Trump aka Individual 1 should have to spend time too.

      And that’s just for starters. They are lined up to press charges against the Orange Man in several states.

      GOOD!

  7. I suspect most of the comments cheering the guilty pleas aren’t from Palmdale. Probably from Lancaster where the Devil is mayor.

  8. No jail time! We should riot, loot, and burn the city to the ground. No justice, no peace….

  9. I too am a felon, Jim, Kim, and Susan. You were smart to admit to your crimes; prison is a very unpleasant place. Anyway, I too was put on formal probation, so you will have to show up once a month at the probation department and it’s all electronically done so they know you showed up. turn your life around and remember to be honest in all you do.

  10. I stay out of the political drama that plays out on a daily basis, but I know this much, Jim Ledford deceived the people that supported him over the years. Many feel betrayed because he played us with his nice guy act not caring about who he was hurting. Well, now all three of you are felons on formal probation and I truly hope you are remorseful for all the pain you’ve caused. Money was more important than the people that thought you were a friend.

  11. This is minuscule when you compare the good Mayor Ledford did for 26 years. Compare Palmdale to Lancaster and that says it all about Ledford’s time as mayor.

    I suspect that people here who are jumping on this ignored the crimes of Trump.

    Palmdale has suffered more at the hands of Rex Parris and his minions on the Palmdale council and in the current mayor’s office.

    Ironically, Ledford still isn’t as dirty as the rest of them in Rex’s service.

    Palmdale has had its best days behind it.

  12. … Ken Ledford can’t hold a candle, to Nancy Pelosi. Enriched far beyond what public servants could ever aspire, the two most corrupt politicians here in America: Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein –

    • How’s a public servant like Nancy Pelosi amass a US$150 million net worth? The woman isn’t even qualified to teach k-12.

    • The most corrupt politician in U.S. history since Boss Tweed, Biden family corruption makes Jim Ledford look like a petty grifter –

      • Hey, Lana. Every heard of Donald Trump? He’.ll be doing time in Leavenworth.

        Are you totally unaware of his corruption. They have nothing on Biden. or we’d have seen it by now. And not that made up stuff on Fox News.

  13. FORMER PALMDALE MAYOR LEDFORD PLEADS GUILTY AND SKATES…

    DA GASCON GIVES HIM ONLY TWO YEARS PROBATION…

    AFTER LEDFORD WALKED AROUND FREE FOR MANY YEARS AWAITING HIS TRIAL…

    I REMEMBER LEDFORD FREQUENTLY CALLING IN TO LOCAL TALK RADIOS HOWS TO TALK ABOUT HIS MANY TRIPS TO VEGAS…

    ***

    R. REX PARRIS HAS SURE NUFF’ HANDED LEDFORD HIS HAT ON THIS ONE…

    ***

    JUSTICE FOR THEM…

    IS NEVER AS SEVERE AS JUSTICE FOR THE REST OF US…

    SIGH…

  14. Perjury. That’s the usual gotcha they deal on when they have nothing else they can prove in court. A colossal waste of resources all the way around. Just stupid.

      • Because Democrat Dave there was no case. This was a political favor granted to a big donor. If it was valid all three would be in jail. If what Rex accused them of was true they all should be in jail. But they are not in jail. Three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted but do you think Rex cares? He got what he wanted. Karma is a b*tch though. It will catch up to him.

  16. One [removed] perjury count, after being indicted on 5 felonies and one misdemeanor, and no jail time. Go figure.

    • Rex’s plan from day one was to destroy Ledford, as he has destroyed so many others. Make accusations and charges. Force the accused into a corner. In the end? Not much.

      Congratulations, Rex. You won. We can only imagine how much money was wasted to come up with this.

      • Are you actually trying to argue that Jim, Kim and Susan did nothing wrong???

        The City of Palmdale, the Aero Institute and NASA are all taxpayer-funded entities, which were used by these three for their own personal enrichment.

        Stop this handwringing you’re doing regarding obvious corruption!

        • Of all the charges and alleged embezzlement, not a day of jail time and only 187,000 has to be paid back? Rest assured more than 10x that amount was spent on this witch hunt. But Rex got what he wanted. Just like he did with Jennings, Ervin, Floyd, Grejeda, Jorge……………

          • And, he owns most of Palmdale’s council and mayor’s office.

            The future isn’t so bright with the current crew. They spent the reserves before the pandemic and had to raise taxes to cover their behinds.

            And, still, the future looks grim.

            Ledford led us through several recessions and the city keep on progressing. Now, what company is going to be impressed by Hofbauer into doing business here?

      • Yes, Jim, Kim, and Susan own this one. Stealing from the taxpayers, and while knowing his guilt ran for mayor again, proclaiming his innocence. These three did it to themselves and shafted the taxpayers.

        • Zero jail time, three pleas says it all. It took three years to arrive here. This is typical of witch hunts. How much time did Randy Floyd spend behind bars for what he was accused of?

          In a news report Parris said Thursday in a telephone call that he thought Ledford’s actions warranted some time behind bars.

          “I didn’t want him to spend a lot of time in jail,” Parris said. “I do think it requires a message be sent, and I think this is the wrong message.”

          I think it sends the wrong message when a sitting mayor can lie about a sheriff’s shooting and blame it on the mentally ill with no repercussions. It also sends the wrong message when a sitting mayor suggest that people carry guns illegally and shoot the homeless if they try to rob you.

          Maybe if someone would investigate the financial arrangements of LEAPS, the purchase of the McMahon building, no bid contracts, Ecolution, and energy contracts there might be someone else facing charges.

          • Ledford has been deceiving the Palmdale community since 2009 and proclaiming his innocence. He and his cohorts will finally have to pay the consequences. He betrayed those that supported him. No wrong message here, only that they were stealing from taxpayers, and lying about their crimes. The truth is finally revealed, and your comment, turning this crime into a Rex Parris issue doesn’t change anything. Live with your own mayor’s issues.

          • Parris couldn’t beat Ledford at the ballot so he went the court route. When he wants to remove someone in his way, he smears them and then they are ruined. Google Raymond Lee Jennings, Randy Floyd, Johnathan Ervin, Esmeralda Jorge, and David Grejeda sometime. All accused of things by Rex. Only Jennings and Grejeda did time and we now know that was all BS. Ledford was accused of big crimes and after three years it’s a plea deal for perjury? This is what happens when political witch hunts come up dry. They bleed the accused dry of funds and then have to settle for a plea.

            In the meantime, Rex and the good old boys keep raking in the dough from no bid contracts, boodoggles like the Eye in the Sky and Ecolution, no bid contracts, and property purchases.

          • Premeditated Political Assassination is what this is. Rex thinks he is so smart yet he cannot win straight up so he has to game the system. He isn’t giving out all that campaign support of money and awards for nothing. He needs their support for these kinds of shenanigans. Isn’t his first rodeo!

          • Rex the new prosecutor for the AV. He is like a unelected DA that gets to investigates his political enemy’s. Only big contributions get you that kind of juice.

          • rex is no better than Trump.

            Trump took out a full page ad in the NYT to call for the death penalty for the innocent young black men who were convicted and sent to prison for assaulting the Central Park jogger.

            They both have deseased minds and are irredeemable like so many of the current crop of Republicans, i.e. Kevin McCarty, Matt Gaetz, Mike Garcia, Devin Nunes (how did we get McCarty and Nunes in California and what are they doing for their constituents? ) Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Leslie Graham et al.

            They are all liars trying to outdo each other.