What is it about Los Angeles museums and the sweet siren call of looted artifacts? First the Italian government decides to make an example of Marion True at the Getty. Now the LA Times reports that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena's Pacific Asia Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the Mingei International Museum in San Diego were all raided this morning in an ongoing investigation into looted objects. And the Times suggests these raids are more serious: "The alleged crimes described in the warrants continued amid and after the Getty scandal became public, suggesting some American museums have not changed collecting habits known to be illegal or at least questionable. The new allegations could also carry much more serious consequences for those implicated because they are being investigated by U.S. authorities on American soil." And we all know how to make those meek museum curators talk. They won't last 5 seconds.
· 4 Southland museums raided in looting probe [LA Times]
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