Bail Reduced for Former Appraiser in County Assessor's Office

Bail was reduced Wednesday from $1.5 million to $100,000 for a for the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office who is accused of falsifying documents and reducing property values by $172 million in exchange for campaign contributions to .

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba cited a favorable report and no objection by the prosecution in granting the defense's request to lower bail for Scott Schenter, who has been jailed since his May 21 arrest in Beaverton, OR.

Schenter, 49, is charged with 30 felony counts each of falsifying accounts and falsifying records.

Schenter, who worked for the Assessor's Office from 1988-2011, is accused of slashing the values—and the property tax bills—of multimillion-dollar homes, condominiums and businesses in , Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. In exchange, he allegedly secured political contributions for Noguez from the affected home and business owners.

Noguez—the target of a corruption probe by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office—announced June 1 that he was taking a leave of absence.

"This investigation is active, ongoing and multi-faceted," said in May.

Schenter is due back at court in downtown Los Angeles Aug. 16, when a date is scheduled to be set to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.