Spaccia

*1279 INTRODUCTION

This case arises out of the highly publicized corruption scandal in the City of Bell (Bell). The scandal erupted in 2010, after it was discovered that the city manager, assistant *67 city manager, and five city council members were *1280 receiving astronomical salaries and fringe benefits, which they had taken care to conceal from their constituents. The subsequent investigation focused in large part on the actions of the longtime city manager, Robert Rizzo, and the assistant city manager, defendant and appellant Pier'Angela Spaccia.

As pertinent here, a jury convicted Spaccia of 11 counts relating to the corruption scandal, including five counts of misappropriation of public funds ( Pen. Code, § 424 ), one count of conspiracy to misappropriate public funds ( Pen. Code, § 182, subd. (a)(1) ), four counts of conflict of interest by a public official ( Gov. Code, §§ 1090, 1097 ) and one count of secreting an official record ( Gov. Code, § 6200 ). Spaccia challenges the judgment of conviction on several grounds.

With respect to the five counts of misappropriation of public funds, Spaccia asserts we must reverse the two convictions related to unauthorized loans…