From Beaumont to Vernon, the Southland has its fair share of rigged elections and bribes in politics. On this episode of Inside the Issues we explore the role of money in Southern California’s local elections.

Our reporter, Ariel Wesler, took a deep dive into the area’s most prolific scandals including one in the city of Bell, where the Los Angeles Times uncovered that the City Manager, and other city employees, were receiving salaries two to three times the size of larger cities.

Christian Grose, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at USC and Academic Director at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, talks about how Southern California’s political scandals compare with other regions in the United States and why many of these stories are coming out of small, little-known cities in the area.

RELATED | Political Corruption in SoCal Has Deep Roots

Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu talks about the efforts that have been made in setting boundaries on campaign contributions at the City Council level.

Sean McMorris, San Gabriel Valley Chapter President of Represent.Us, talks about organizing for an ordinance on campaign finance reform.

Bradley Hertz, Partner at The Sutton Law Firm, talks about rules that are in place to preserve ethics in politics.

Let Inside the Issues know your thoughts and watch Monday through Friday at 8 and 11 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.