Public Integrity Prosecutor Accused Of Using Conflicts Case To Pressure Firm To Hire Family Member

Deputy Dist. Atty. Juliet Schmidt, a member of the L.A. district attorney’s Public Integrity Division, is under fire after sending a letter to a law firm in a conflict-of-interest case that first suggested that its client “might” be exonerated and then asked if the firm would give her nephew of job. That is, of course, a conflict of interest itself.


Schmidt sent an email to the firm of Orbach, Huff and Suarez stating that her office “might exonerate” its clients and then followed with a request to hire her family member: “I spoke to him and he is very interested in legal malpractice and would love the opportunity to join your firm. Please let me know if there is a possibility that he could get hired by your firm.”

Schmidt is one of only two prosecutors in the case against Karen Christiansen, a former Beverly Hills Unified School District contractor. She is facing several conflict-of-interest charges, including the allegation that she pushed for the district to borrow millions of dollars for construction while arranging to receive a percentage of that money to oversee the construction.

Source: LA Times

7 thoughts on “Public Integrity Prosecutor Accused Of Using Conflicts Case To Pressure Firm To Hire Family Member”

  1. She did nothing wrong whatsoever. That is not a conflict of interest. The two events were completely seperated and to say that she may exonerate them in return for a job for her nephew is absolutely ridiculous. How stupid that you would even mention this!

  2. And if it were Wall Street or a Bank Official…who’d say a damn thing….oh wait…Scott Walker and a large campaign donor….

  3. Both the attorney and the contractor should be in prison.

    If you are a public servant and you break the law you should receive a stiffer penalty. But I doubt the prosecutor will get any time.

    Just like police who murder people (or the NYC rapist cops) nothing ever happens.

  4. It’s basic irony, but it’s still a hoot. Possibly both a hoot and a holler.

  5. It appears that the DA’s office will need to set up a new division to oversee the integrity of the Public Integrity Division.

Comments are closed.