Spindler has maintained that he was being silenced for speaking out against Measure RRR, a ballot measure that sought to reform the scandal-plagued Department of Water and Power.

The reality: Spindler practically has to duck to fit his 6-foot-4-inch frame into his offices, which are in a cramped building in Mill Valley, with no navigable water in sight.

An Encino attorney accused of making racist threats against Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, arguing that his free speech and other ...