Feds probing payments to Huizar, Tokofsky

The story in tomorrow's Los Angeles Daily Journal, by reporters Ciaran McEvoy and Greg Katz, says the investigation involves payments by Voter Improvement Program Inc.

Federal authorities are investigating Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and former Los Angeles Unified School Board member David Tokofsky in connection with payments they received from a nonprofit group founded by late labor leader Miguel Contreras, the Daily Journal has learned.

The heart of the probe involves what, if any, work the officials completed for the roughly $30,000 in fees they were each paid while they were both sitting school board members, three sources with direct knowledge of the investigation said. At the time, school board members were paid about $24,000 a year for their official duties.

Authorities are also investigating whether the payments from Voter Improvement Program Inc. originated from entities that had business before the school board that the two officials could influence, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

Tokofsky told the paper he was unaware that he was the subject of any federal investigation and said he was paid for legitimate work. Huizar issued a statement through a spokesman saying that he "would be willing to cooperate with any inquiry."