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Los Angeles Councilman Richard Alatorre reluctantly admitted Wednesday, in the most explicit terms he has used publicly, that he is a recovering cocaine addict, although he said he has not used the drug in about nine years.
The lawmaker, in continuing testimony in an acrimonious child guardianship case, was visibly uncomfortable as he was repeatedly questioned about what he generally has characterized as a past alcohol and substance abuse problem.
The Eastside councilman, whose official actions and personal financial matters are part of a wide-ranging federal corruption probe, has been forced to openly discuss the drug issue in recent months. Allegations have surfaced that he abused cocaine with a government contractor and was seen at City Hall and elsewhere with white powder on his nostrils between 1990 and 1995.
Alatorre has strongly denied the accusations, saying that he has been "clean and sober" for a decade. He has dismissed the allegations as those of disgruntled and unreliable individuals, adding that any white residue observed on his nostrils might have been dandruff, denture powder or Doritos.
Superior Court Judge Henry W. Shatford is considering purported financial improprieties...