Dear Culver City: Council Candidate Small Owes an Explanation

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By Les Greenberg, Esquire

In 2020, I wrote a series of letters to editors concluding that "Mr. [Thomas] Small has publicly cast a cloud over his activities and the government of Culver City. He should immediately tender his resignation, or be expelled by his fellow City Council members." That episode, along with others, is fully documented here.

We thought we were rid of him. To our surprise, he's back. Hopefully not for long.

First, he owes the public an explanation for how Michael Hackman and Hackman Capital Partners came to establish and fund his one-employee charity to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars — all while he sat on the City Council and voted to approve a substantial Hackman real-estate project without disclosing this relationship.

Second, he also owes an explanation for his role in torpedoing Culver City's adoption of an independently managed fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) system. The City Council tasked then-Councilmember Small with guiding the FWA system recommended by then-Internal Auditor Moss Adams through the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC).

Culver City paid more than $100,000 in consulting fees to Moss Adams.

My wife and I attended numerous FAC meetings. The June 12, 2019 meeting notes reflect that Small expressed "appreciation to the Greenbergs for their advocacy." He — and the City Council — allowed staff to strip the program of its independence, despite having been informed in writing of what staff was attempting.

Moss Adams itself advised Culver City of the material changes made to its recommendations — changes that leave potential wrongdoers to judge themselves.

Culver City residents deserve better representation on the City Council than Mr. Small has shown himself capable of providing.

Les Greenberg and his wife have been residents of Culver City since 1975. His law practice focused on investment disputes in state and federal courts and in arbitration. For many years, he and his wife have championed the cause of Culver City implementing an independently managed fraud, waste, and abuse system and engaging an Independent Auditor.