Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (71) is under fire as her administration faces multiple corruption allegations amid criticism over the city’s wildfire response. The controversies emerged while Bass was attending a presidential inauguration in Ghana during a recent fire emergency.
Jamie Court, president of the consumer watchdog group ConsumerWatchdog, stated that “LA’s corruption runs deep, which contributed to the severity of the recent major wildfires.”
The scandals include:
The LA Fire Department’s $17 million budget cut, weakening wildfire response capabilities
FBI investigation of Deputy Mayor Brian Williams over City Hall bomb threats
Appointment of ally Janice Quinones as Water and Power CEO with a $750,000 salary, double her predecessor’s compensation
Multiple council members facing charges of embezzlement, perjury, money laundering, tax evasion, and bribery
In a notable case, Councilmember Curren Price Jr. was indicted for allegedly accepting over $150,000 in bribes from developers in exchange for approving their projects.
Susan Shelley Howard-Jarvis, vice president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, revealed the existence of a “pay-to-play culture” in LA, which she described as “legalized corruption.” She noted that the mayor’s fund received $1.8 million in donations from corporations including AT&T and Coca-Cola.
Mayor Bass has not responded to requests for comment on these allegations.
