California city’s government offices raided by local, federal agents

LOS ANGELES — Local prosecutors and FBI agents raided city government offices in Beaumont, California, and the premises of a management consulting firm that has worked with the city on Wednesday as part of an investigation that authorities declined to describe.

“I can confirm that search warrants have been served as part of an ongoing investigation. Search warrants have been served at both Beaumont City Hall and the Urban Logic office,” Riverside County District Attorney’s spokesman John Hall said.

“The investigation is being conducted by the Riverside County D.A.’s Office and the FBI,” Hall said. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, I will have no further comment at this time.”

The Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper reported that Urban Logic Consultants has provided services to Beaumont, some 80 miles east of Los Angeles, for more than two decades and at one time employed all of the city’s top managers.

The paper reported that investigators carted boxes out of both Beaumont City Hall and the offices of Urban Logic on Wednesday.

Beaumont city officials and representatives for Urban Logic could not immediately be reached for comment. Beaumont City Hall was closed during the searches.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)