Skip to Content
Los Angeles

Will City Attorney Carmen Trutanich Honor His Pledge to Voters?

9:56 AM PST on December 5, 2011

City Attorney Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich promised when running for City Attorney that he would not seek political office while working for the city. In fact, he signed a very specific pledge with repercussions if the contract with voters was broken. Here's what he signed a couple of years ago when running against Jack Weiss:

We pledge that we will not seek any other elected position including Mayor, U.S. Congress, Attorney General or Los Angeles County District Attorney while serving as Los Angeles City Attorney. By signing this pledge, candidates also agree to a penalty should they violate the terms and conditions outlined above. Such penalty will be a $100,000 fine payable from personal funds to LA’s Best After School Program.

In addition, violators agree to personally finance one (1) full-page newspaper advertisement in every daily newspaper in Los Angeles to be run on the first Sunday following the breach of this contract. Such ad must include a large headshot of the candidate in question, a copy of this pledge and the words, “I AM A LIAR”, in large block print.

It's now been a few months since Trutanich announced he is running for District Attorney, but no donation to an LA Afterschool program has been announced, and the daily newspapers are still waiting for that full-page ad. In case the issue is finding a graphic designer, we've graciously included a version above that could be used, for a nominal fee, by the Trutanich for D.A. team.

The campaign of Alan Jackson, who is running against Trutanich, is trying to get the word out about the broken pledge, but it appears not many people are listening other than the blog LA Dragnet which some in that blog's comments have suggested is run by Alan's campaign anyway.

More Stories

Why Would Anyone Spend $200 on This Single Cup of Coffee?

Each ticket to the tasting cost $250 and included coffee and water—no food. Plus, a guided tasting by leading coffee expert, creator, and SEY ambassador Lance Hendrick.

October 20, 2026

A Woody Guthrie Guitar, a 1776 Print of the Declaration of Independence, and Much More Are Now On View at The Huntington

You'll breathe in the scent of 15 oak tree species, manzanita, native Toyon, and more than 5,000 plants as you walk the grounds to arrive, too.

October 20, 2026

L.A. TACO’s 2026 Voter Guide

If you’re one of the million Californians who depend on federal funding for healthcare and not one of the roughly 250 billionaires living here, you’ve got a hell of a lot more to gain from reading all the way through. You’ll find someone or something that you agree with, or at the very least, someone to vote against. (Today, Monday, October 19, is the last day to register to vote.)

October 19, 2026

Sunday Taquitos #35: The A.I. Bubble Bursts

Sunday Taquitos! Art by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ivan Ehlers.

October 18, 2026

Why Are So Many Restaurants Using A.I. for Menus Now?

I already miss the era of gloriously sticky menus, coated with years of grease and who knows what else, and a menu behind the counter with pixelated photos, overexposed plates, low-quality clipart, and typos galore.

October 16, 2026

Our 12 Favorite Menudos in L.A., Mapped

Rich, fatty, earthy, savory, and slightly spicy broth. There’s always a memory tied to menudo: nights of partying and needing that hot broth to bring you back to life; your parents making it for the holidays; or years-long family traditions. These are some of our favorites.