Omar Bradley (politician)

Omar Bradley grew up in Compton, California. As an adult, he stayed ("lived") in the neighborhood and taught high school before entering politics.

In 1991, Bradley defeated Pedro Pallan to become City Councilman for the 1st District of Compton. Despite winning the race decisively with 2,904 votes over Pallan's 1,577, Bradley adopted a very conciliatory tone, when he said, "My first priority is to extend the olive branch to the Latino community, find out what they lack in city services and find out how to meet them."

{{cite news

|url=http://www.NewsLibrary.com/

|title=Bradley, Robbins Leading in Compton Council Vote

|work=The Long Beach Press-Telegram |date=1991-06-05 |access-date=2008-07-23

}}

Just two years later in the spring of 1993, Bradley faced off against Councilwoman Patricia A. Moore for the city's top job. In a bitterly fought runoff campaign, Bradley received just 349 votes over Moore to replace the outgoing Mayor Walter R. Tucker III.

{{cite news

|title=Councilman Bradley wins mayoral contest

|first= Tina |last=Griego

|page=B1

|work=The Los Angeles Times |date=1993-06-02 }}

Immediately upon taking office, Bradley stirred controversy. During his campaign he had garnered the support of many Latino voters with the promise that if he were elected mayor, he would appoint a Latino to replace him on the council. It was generally assumed that he would appoint his former opponent Pallan, who was the first Latino in Compton to qualify for a run-off election. On the night of the presumed appointment, Bradley joined two other council members to appoint political newcomer Ronald Green, an African American instead.{{cite book|title=The Presumed Alliance|author=Vaca, N.C.|date=2009|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780061750205|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PAf2F0HOfxEC|access-date=2015-04-16}}{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-12-ls-17792-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Greg | last=Krikorian | title=Office Politics | date=1997-01-12}}{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-10-hl-1825-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Emily | last=Adams | title=Vote to Put Bradley Ally on Council Angers Latinos : Politics: New mayor joins colleagues in appointing political newcomer to fill his vacant seat. Community leaders say he betrayed them | date=1993-06-10}}

That fall, comments he made regarding the violence in rap videos angered members of the Jewish community. When gangster rapper Eazy-E was seeking permission to film a music video in Compton, Bradley scolded him during a council meeting by saying that he was being exploited by a "specific ethnic group" that was "having a bar mitzvah at the same time." On October 13, 1993 he held a press conference with Eazy-E to announce his approval of the music video and to apologize for his previous remarks.

{{cite news

|title=Singer, mayor rap up a comprise

|first=Emily |last=Adams

|page=B1

|work=The Los Angeles Times |date=1993-10-14 }}

In 2001, Bradley narrowly lost his bid for re-election to a third term to political novice Eric J. Perrodin.

After leaving office, Bradley was investigated and convicted of misappropriating public funds during his tenure as City Mayor. Bradley was convicted of using a city-issued credit card to pay for golf rounds, hotel rooms, clothing and in-room movies, among other things. He was convicted of taking cash advances for city business expenses and then charging those items to his city credit cards and pocketing the money. Bradley charged over $3,800 in personal expenses on his City credit card, double-billed the City over $3,700 and in addition failed to return travel advances for two conferences that the jury could infer he failed to attend.

{{cite news

|url=http://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=bcddi&searchTerm=eLSj.hjIa.aadj.ebZd&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW

|title=THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. OMAR BRADLEY et al., Defendants and Appellants.

|work=Lexis Nexis |date=2006-08-24 |access-date=2006-08-24

}}

The district attorneys office alleged that Bradley misspent closer to $19,000.

{{cite news

|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-30-me-bradley30-story.html

|title=Ex-Compton Mayor Avoids Prison

|work=The Los Angeles Times |date=2004-07-30 |access-date=2004-07-30

|first=Wendy

|last=Thermos

}}

City Manager John D. Johnson II and council member Amen Rahh were convicted on similar charges of misappropriating public funds and were sentenced to prison.

{{cite news

|url=http://da.co.la.ca.us/mr/archive/2004/021004a.htm

|title=Former Compton Mayor, Two Others Convicted

|work=Los Angeles County District Attorney Office |date=2004-02-10 |access-date=2004-02-10

}}

On May 14, 2004 Bradley was sentenced to three years in state prison on felony corruption charges.

{{cite news

|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-14-me-bradley14-story.html

|title=Former Mayor Gets 3 Years

|work=The Los Angeles Times |date=2004-05-14 |access-date=2004-05-14

|first=Cynthia

|last=Daniels

}}

Bradley served his time in a halfway house, from which he was allowed to leave five days a week to work in a job-training program for the developmentally disabled in Carson, California. Bradley was released in August 2005 because he had served jail time while awaiting trial.

Bradley's corruption conviction was overturned by an appeals court in August 2012.

{{cite news

|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0802-omar-bradley-20120803,0,2400608.story

|title=Court overturns former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley's conviction

|work=The Los Angeles Times |date=2012-08-03 |access-date=2012-08-03

|first=Abby

|last=Sewell

}}

Omar Bradley ran again for mayor of Compton, Ca in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/comptons-former-gangster-mayor-omar-bradley-wants-his-old-job-back/ |title=Compton's Former 'Gangster Mayor' Omar Bradley Wants His Old Job Back « CBS Los Angeles |publisher=losangeles.cbslocal.com|access-date=2015-04-16}} He came in a close second in the primary nominating election on April 16, 2013. Bradley came in with 26.5% with Aja Brown receiving 27.8% of the vote. The incumbent mayor, Eric J. Perrodin, ended up in third place with only 24.5% of the vote.{{cite web|title=Official results for the April 16, 2013 City of Compton nominating election|url=http://www.comptoncity.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=25795|work=Comptoncity.org|publisher=City of Compton|access-date=2018-03-04}} Brown defeated Bradley in the June 4 runoff by a 64% to 36% margin.{{cite web|title=Official results for the June 4, 2013 City of Compton general municipal election|url=http://www.comptoncity.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=25793|work=Comptoncity.org|publisher=City of Compton|access-date=2018-03-04}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://omarbradleycampaignforchange.org/ Omar Bradley Campaign for Change.Org], the website for Omar Bradley's 2013 mayoral candidacy.
• {{facebook|OmarBradleyCampaignForChange|Omar Bradley Campaign for Change 2013}}

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{{succession box | before = Maxcy D. Filer | title= Compton, California City Council
1st District | years = 1991–1993 | after = Ronald Green}}

{{succession box |

before = Walter R. Tucker III |

title = Mayor of Compton, California | years = 1993–2001 | after = Eric J. Perrodin}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Omar}}

Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Educators from California

Category:Mayors of Compton, California

Category:African-American mayors in California

Category:Compton, California, city council members

Category:African-American city council members in California

Category:20th-century African-American politicians

Category:20th-century mayors of places in California

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:21st-century mayors of places in California