Better Business Bureau's Southern California Chapter Suspended

The consumer protection group Better Business Bureau (BBB) has expelled its Southern California branch after an investigation into an apparent pay-to-play scandal.

This chapter, which was the largest in the nation, announced Tuesday that it lost its right to use the BBB name and logo.

The chapter's chairman notified the national office that the chapter would resign, but denied the existence of any widespread problems

According to the BBB website, the vision of the Virginia-based organization is "an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other."

However, two years ago an ABC-TV investigation found the Los Angeles-area chapter gave the Hamas militant organization an A-minus after a blogger submitted its name and paid hundreds of dollars in memberships.

Several business owners, including celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, said they were told they must become members to receive high marks.

The national group says it will compensate for the loss of this chapter by serving the Los Angeles market.