S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
September 23 – September 29, 2022 Volume CLIX, Issue 163
INSIDE SMCLC REJECTS GELSON’S PROJECT
PAGE 10
Legal Wrangling Continues Following LASD Search of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s Santa Monica Home LASD looking into “an allegation of criminal conduct” by Kuehl and three “sole source contracts” awarded to Peace Over Violence By Sam Catanzaro Last Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on the Santa Monica home of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl as part of what they call an ongoing corruption investigation. On Thursday, a judge barred the Sheriff’s Department investigators from searching computers seized from LA Metro related to the probe. The Sheriff’s Department has responded by claiming the county fired its attorney in the case. LASD deputies on September 14 searched the home of Kuehl and Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commissioner Patti Giggans, L.A. Metro
headquarters, Kuehl’s office and Peace Over Violence, a nonprofit at the center of the Sheriff’s investigation. The LASD says it is investigating a contract between L.A. Metro and Peace Over Violence to operate a sexual harassment hotline for employees and riders on the Metro trains and buses. According to a redacted copy of the affidavit that led to the September 14 searches, the LASD is looking into “an allegation of criminal conduct” by Kuehl and three “sole source contracts” awarded to Peace Over Violence. Giggans is Peace Over Violence’s executive director and was appointed by Kuehlto the Sheriff Civilian Oversight panel. Kuehl and Giggans are close friends and have also both clashed with Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The warrant to search Kuehl’s Santa Monica home –signed by Superior Court Judge Craig Richman – allowed LASD investigators to take any documents or electronic files “related to the Peace Over Violence contract acquisition.” Kuehl represents District 3 on the LA County Board of Supervisors, which includes much of the Westside. On Thursday Septmber 15, Los Angeles
Superior Court Judge William Ryan issued an order blocking the LASD from searching computers seized from Metro’s Office of Inspector General. Attorneys for Metro contested the legality of the warrants, claiming that a different judge had previously instructed that a special master be selected to review materials seized. In his ruling Judge Ryan set a hearing for September 22, posing a series of questions, including why the LASD ignored the previous ruling and went to a different judge to get the search warrants approved. The LASD issued a statement last Friday morning accusing the County of banning the county counsel from representing the Sheriff’s Department relating to matters surrounding the investigation and defense of the three search warrants that were served Wednesday. “We are now forced into a position of being unrepresented with no county authorization to pay for legal representation and reduced to solicit pro bono representation in this matter,” reads the LASD statement. Outside of her home September 14, Kuehl told
reporters the warrant had “no information in it at all” and was “signed by a judge who is a friend of the sheriff’s.” “This strikes me as being part of a sort of a bogus, non-investigation. There is no investigation going on that would support this warrant,” Kuehl added. “The only thing they are going to find inside my house is maybe a few cat videos and those kind of things that regular people have,” Kuehl told Fox 11. Kuehl said she was told by an attorney for the
Legal Wrangling, see page 8
SMC Student is White House News Photographers Association’s “Student Still Photographer of the Year” Ethan Swope, film major & “Corsair” contributor wins preeminent honor for “a great consistent style, diversity in stories” & much more
Ethan Swope, a Santa Monica College (SMC) film major and a contributor for SMC’s student-run media outlet The Corsair, was named the 2022 White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) ‘Eyes of History’ Student Still Photographer of the Year winner. Swope received the award at a gala held Sept. 10, in Washington, D.C., with his win announced earlier in February by the association. Lucas Pruitt of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was named the WHNPA Student Video Photographer of the Year. “This award means so much to me and I am honored that my work was recognized by the White House News Photographers Association,” Ethan Swope said. “I am excited to continue pursuing journalism, here at Santa Monica College under the guidance of Corsair photo adviser/photojournalism professor
Gerard Burkhart, and beyond.” Speaking of his winning portfolio, Swope added, “I could not have accomplished this honor without the trust the subjects who are in my photos gave me.” The judges for the WHNPA 2022 ‘Eyes of History®’ Student still photography competition were Jabin Botsford of The Washington Post; Elizabeth Frantz (independent); and Stefani Reynolds of AFP (Agence France-Presse). Pursuing a major at SMC’s award-winning film program, Swope began practicing photojournalism in his Marin County high school. While his work—and camera—has taken him all over the world, documenting places and communities he would not have been able to, otherwise, Swope notes that being in Ukraine was particularly moving. But it was his work covering California wildfires that “hit home.” “Being a California native and seeing the impacts of climate change, and documenting it, is moving,” he said, “because the situation is only going to get more extreme.” Ethan’s SMC photojournalism professor Gerard Burkhart was in Washington, D.C., witnessing his student share the stage with
visual journalism luminaries like Carol Guzy,four-time Pulitzer Prize-winner. “Ethan represents how far a student can go when they are self-motivated,” said Burkhart. “Most of his award-winning work was from during the pandemic, when a vast majority of students were learning remotely. Ethan thrived covering major local and world events, and is an inspiration to an already inspired group of Corsair editors, photographers and writers.” Burkhart added that the WHNPA photo show featuring Swope’s work is expected to be on display in Santa Monica College’s library on its Main Campus, after Thanksgiving. More details are forthcoming. “Swope had a great consistent style that shined through the range of stories,” said Jabin Botsford. Elizabeth Frantz added that his win “had the most consistent vision,” and there was “a diversity in stories, with strong singles to compliment,” noted Reynolds. “Ethan’s photojournalism expertise adds to the deep pool of talented SMC journalism students on staff,” said Sharyn Obsatz, one of the Santa Monica College journalism professors advising the student newsroom. “Professors serve as coaches, but the students truly learn so much from each other, and Ethan
Photo: Gerard Burkhard. Swope onstage, giving a speech at the White House News Photographers Association ‘Eyes of History®’ Awards Gala in Washington, DC on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
has a wealth of experience to share.” Full results from both contests are available on the WHNPA website at whnpa.org/theeyes-of-history. For more information on the association, please contact Whitney Shefte at president@54.85.141.172 or executive director Heidi Elswick at heidi@54.85.141.172 (301606-8251). For further information about ‘The Eyes of History®’ and to view the winning images and videos, visit the WHNPA website at whnpa.org. The WHNPA is sponsored in part by Nikon and Tiffen. To learn more about Ethan Swope—and his astonishing body of work—visit his website ethanswope.com.