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Karen Bass, Rick Caruso have war of words
A bombshell report from Los Angeles Times alleges Mayor Karen Bass ordered her staff to "water down" an after-action report that detailed the missteps from the city's fire department during last year's deadly Palisades Fire.
LOS ANGELES - Political fallout is intensifying across Los Angeles following a Los Angeles Times article alleging Mayor Karen Bass intervened in the Palisades Fire after-action report and ordered key findings about the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response to be removed or softened before the report was released publicly.
The report is already reshaping the city’s political landscape, prompting businessman Rick Caruso to reconsider a potential run for mayor.
"It makes me very concerned about the future of L.A.," Caruso said.
Two weeks ago, Caruso announced he no longer planned to run for California governor or mayor of Los Angeles. While he says a gubernatorial run remains off the table, Caruso now confirms he is rethinking a bid for mayor.
"I’m certainly thinking about it," Caruso said when asked directly whether he was reconsidering. "I still have concerns about the campaign, my family and other factors. We’re going to gather and talk about it."
Caruso said the Los Angeles Times report — and the allegations involving Mayor Bass — played a significant role in his decision to reconsider entering the race.
"Incompetence is one thing," Caruso said. "But it’s very different when you mix incompetence with someone who is actively lying to the people she has sworn to serve."
The after-action report on the deadly Palisades Fire has faced months of criticism from fire survivors, many of whom say it was watered down and failed to provide clear answers about what went wrong during the emergency response.
Just two days ago, FOX 11 exclusively questioned Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime E. Moore about the report, asking who ordered it to be altered.
Moore said the focus should be on moving forward.
"Just like the mayor’s State of the City address, I think we need to look ahead," Moore said. "That’s behind us."
FOX 11 then pressed, saying residents say they still want answers.
"I understand that," Moore said. "But what are they going to do with those answers? They want to point fingers and assign blame. I’ve taken ownership. I’ve given direction to my command that we’re going to look forward and make changes — and I’ve already made changes."
In Pacific Palisades, residents surrounded by empty, burned-out lots say the latest allegations have only deepened their frustration.
"It’s very disappointing," one resident said. "We need the truth."
The controversy is also fueling responses from other mayoral candidates, including Spencer Pratt.
"There’s no looking forward until we get answers and the people responsible are fired," Pratt said. "That includes the fire chiefs, battalion chiefs and the mayor."
Mayor Bass has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement provided to FOX 11, her office said the mayor reviewed an early draft of the report only to ensure factual accuracy and did not alter its findings.
"Mayor Bass has been unequivocal for months — she reviewed an early draft of the report and only asked the LAFD to make sure it was accurate on issues like weather and budget," the statement said. "She and her staff made no changes to the drafts."
The statement added that the mayor has been critical of the LAFD’s response to the fire, citing new leadership within the department and her call for an independent review of the Lachman Fire mop-up. The mayor’s office called the Los Angeles Times report "muckraking journalism" and said it relied on "third-hand, unsourced information."
The deadline for candidates to file paperwork to run for mayor of Los Angeles is Saturday, Feb. 7.