Los Angeles has been relatively free of the graft and corruption that plagued a number of other large cities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Surely some of the reason for this rests with the non-partisan nature of the the city's highest office, limiting the development of machine politics. Another possible explanation may be the fact that the mayor has less power and freedom of action than in most other big cities.
But, fortunately for this segment of Los Angeles: Past, Present, and Future, there have been a few scandals, and the "best" are included here:
In doing research on any of these individuals, or on the history of Los Angeles, remember two other oranizations: the Los Angeles City Archives and the Local History Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. These two organizations are major sources of both published and unpublished information.