Staples to City Attorney: You're a Bully
"I wouldn't say it was extortion. I would say it's a bully tactic," said Tim Leiweke
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:54 PM PST
AEG President and Chief Executive Tim Leiweke said in remarks reported Thursday that City Attorney Carmen Trutanich tried to pressure him into forking over $6 million to defray the city for services provided during the Michael Jackson memorial at Staples Center.
Trutanich said he would "go after you guys" if the money was not paid, Leiweke told the Los Angeles Times' editorial board Wednesday.
"I wouldn't say it was extortion. I would say it's a bully tactic. ...He's trying to bully us. And he's done it on three different occasions," said Leiweke, whose company owns Staples Center and the L.A. Live entertainment complex.
Trutanich, who says he's enforcing the law and looking out for the interests of Los Angeles taxpayers, denied making threats.
It was not the first time Trutanich has been accused of high-handed tactics. He has blocked sign permits for AEG's new downtown movie theater at L.A. Live and attempted to delay the city's plans to lease billboard space to AEG at the Convention Center.
According to The Times, he recently threatened to jail City Councilwoman Jan Perry and file criminal charges against the city's top building-and- safety official if they violated his signage directives, which he says stems from an ordinance approved in August.
The city's top financial analyst has said the Jackson memorial cost the city an estimated $1.3 million -- not $6 million, as some contend. Leiweke said he has offered to help defray a portion of the $1.3 million.
The conflict between AEG and Trutanich now centers on the upcoming Jackson documentary, "This Is It," which will premiere Tuesday at the grand opening of AEG's new theater at L.A. Live.
