1 week ago
7
NEWYou tin present perceive to Fox News articles!
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump for her handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping the city, which follows a past of governmental scandals and criticisms crossed her decades arsenic an elected official, Fox News Digital has learned.
Bass, who was sworn successful arsenic politician successful 2022, is nether occurrence aft denouncing migration raids that began successful LA connected Friday, erstwhile national instrumentality enforcement officials converged connected the city, sparking protests that soon devolved into unit and chaos.
Trump medication officials person since argued that Democratic rhetoric denouncing the migration raids, portion simultaneously offering messages of enactment to amerciable immigrants residing successful the nation, emboldened protesters, which led to the riots.
"Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, due to the fact that their full governmental question exists for 1 purpose: to beforehand wide migration into our country," Vice President JD Vance wrote connected X connected Tuesday. "It is their crushed for being. Democratic enactment has nary solution for the economy, for prosperity, oregon for security. They usage their powerfulness erstwhile they're successful the bulk to import millions of amerciable immigrants and erstwhile they're successful absorption they bash everything imaginable to forestall deportations."
SOCIAL MEDIA, TRUMP ADMIN ERUPTS OVER LA MAYOR'S REACTION TO ICE RAIDS: 'YOU'RE A CRIMINAL TOO'
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is nether occurrence by Republicans for however she is handling the anti-ICE protests. (Getty Images)
As Bass faces ongoing condemnation from the Trump medication implicit the unit successful Southern California, Fox Digital took a look backmost astatine erstwhile scandals and incidents that landed the erstwhile House lawmaker successful blistery water.
CELEBRATED COMMUNIST LEADERS
As Bass was floated arsenic a apical contender to articulation erstwhile President Joe Biden arsenic his moving mate during the 2020 election, aggregate quality reports parsed Bass' past comments connected communist leaders, including lamenting Communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's decease successful 2016 successful a statement.
"I privation to explicit my condolences to the Cuban radical and the household of Fidel Castro. The passing of the Comandante en Jefe is simply a large nonaccomplishment to the radical of Cuba. I anticipation together, our 2 nations volition proceed connected the caller way of enactment and collaboration with 1 another, and proceed successful the caller absorption of diplomacy," she said successful a connection aft his death. "Comandante en Jefe" translates to commandant successful chief.
Bass distanced herself from the connection arsenic she faced vetting to perchance articulation the 2020 statesmanlike summons alongside Biden, telling Fox News successful 2020 that her views connected Cuba "developed implicit time" and that she understood that Castro's government, which spanned astir 50 years, "was a brutal regime."
MAYOR BASS BLAMES TRUMP'S ICE RAIDS FOR STARTING RIOTS WHILE CLAIMING 'THINGS IN LA ARE CALM'
"I perfectly would person not enactment that connection out," she added portion appearing connected Fox News that year.
Bass again raised governmental eyebrows successful 2020 for her praise of communists aft Politico resurrected her 2017 remarks eulogizing 1 of the apical members of the Communist Party USA successful 2017, including calling him a "friend and mentor" successful remarks inserted successful legislature record.
"I would similar to grant the beingness and representation of my person and mentor, Oneil Marion Cannon, who passed distant connected January 20, days earlier his 100th birthday," Bass wrote of Oneil Cannon.
The comments did not notation that Cannon was a apical person of the Communist Party USA, identifying him alternatively arsenic being "deeply progressive successful politics" and that helium belonged to the Independent Progressive Party.
"I would similar to salute Oneil Cannon for his longstanding committedness to serving and uplifting others, and for a period of warring to marque the satellite a amended place," she added.
An obituary published successful the communist-founded newspaper, People's World, reported that Cannon was a "longtime communist" who served arsenic the Communist Party USA's "education manager successful the Southern California District, and a subordinate of the Party’s Southern California and National Central Committees."
REP. KAREN BASS CALLED TOP MEMBER OF COMMUNIST PARTY USA A ‘FRIEND AND MENTOR’ IN EULOGY: REPORT
Bass' squad argued successful effect to criticisms implicit the praise of the communist person that the erstwhile House lawmaker ne'er shared Cannon's governmental ideology, akin to however she was friends with erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy without the brace holding the aforesaid governmental views.
"Karen Bass has ever been a Democrat and lone a Democrat. The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but ne'er shared the governmental ideology helium whitethorn person had astatine 1 clip successful his life," a spokesperson told Politico astatine the time.
Bass's bureau told Fox Digital connected Thursday, erstwhile asked astir the database of erstwhile scandals and criticisms, that the politician is focused connected "leading the metropolis done this hard clip to guarantee the information and stableness of its residents."
"While the Administration continues to make chaos and provoke the radical of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass is focused connected starring the metropolis done this hard clip to guarantee the information and stableness of its residents. Mayor Bass has made alteration successful Los Angeles and nether her leadership, transgression is down, she has reduced homelessness for the archetypal clip successful years and is starring a earthy catastrophe betterment effort that is connected gait to beryllium the fastest successful authorities history," the mayor's bureau said.
BASS' DEPUTY MAYOR RAIDED, ADMITS TO PHONY BOMB THREAT
Bass' bureau faced scrutiny precocious past twelvemonth aft the FBI raided the location of her lawman politician of nationalist safety, Brian Williams, successful December for making a weaponry menace to Los Angeles City Hall.
Williams, who nary longer works successful the mayor's office, agreed to plead blameworthy successful May to a felony complaint of "information with threats regarding occurrence and explosives," which carries a statutory maximum condemnation of 10 years successful prison.
The erstwhile lawman mayor's plea statement outlined that connected Oct. 3 of past year, Williams was successful a virtual gathering with colleagues erstwhile helium utilized a Google Voice exertion connected his idiosyncratic compartment telephone to telephone his enactment phone, the DOJ reported successful a property merchandise past month. The metropolis authoritative past near the virtual gathering and called the Los Angeles Police Department's main of unit to study helium had received a telephone from a antheral threatening to weaponry metropolis hall.
A presumption of Los Angeles City Hall. A erstwhile metropolis lawman politician of nationalist information pleaded blameworthy to threatening to weaponry the City Hall gathering past year, the Justice Department said. (Getty Images)
Williams past texted Bass and different metropolis officials that helium had received a weaponry threat, the DOJ said.
"Bomb threat: I received telephone telephone connected my metropolis compartment astatine 10:48 americium this morning. The antheral caller stated that ‘he was bushed of the metropolis enactment of Israel, and helium has decided to spot a weaponry successful City Hall. It mightiness beryllium successful the rotunda.’ I instantly contacted the main of unit of LAPD, they are going to nonstop a fig of officers implicit to bash a hunt of the gathering and to find if anyone other received a threat," the connection read, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.
The DOJ noted successful its property merchandise that "Williams received nary specified telephone and had made the weaponry menace himself. At nary clip did Williams mean to transportation retired the threat."
"Like many, we were shocked erstwhile these allegations were archetypal made, and we are saddened by this conclusion," a spokesperson for Bass said successful May of Williams admitting to the weaponry threat.
PAST PRAISE OF SCIENTOLOGY
Bass faced backlash during her mayoral run successful 2022, erstwhile her opponent, existent property magnate Rick Caruso, launched an advertisement run showing Bass praising the Church of Scientology during a 2010 code astatine the opening of the group's office successful Los Angeles. Scientology is often described by erstwhile members arsenic a "cult," a statement the religion rejects.
"The Church of Scientology I cognize has made a difference," Bass said during the 2010 speech. "Because your creed is simply a cosmopolitan creed and 1 that speaks to each radical everywhere."
Amid backlash, Bass distanced herself from the group, citing however first-hand accounts person "exposed this group."
LEAH REMINI CALLS OUT KAREN BASS FOR PAST PRAISE OF SCIENTOLOGY: VICTIMS 'DESERVE BETTER FROM YOU'
"Back successful 2010, I attended the lawsuit knowing I was going to code a radical of radical with beliefs precise antithetic than my own, and spoke concisely astir things I deliberation astir of america hold with, and connected those things — respect for antithetic views, equality, and warring oppression — my views person not changed," Bass wrote successful the connection posted to societal media successful 2022. "Since then, published first-hand accounts successful books, interviews and documentaries person exposed this group."
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RESPONSE
Bass faced aggravated disapproval earlier this twelvemonth aft wildfires erupted successful Los Angeles portion she was overseas successful Africa—blazes that rapidly escalated into wide devastation crossed the region.
Bass traveled to Ghana for the swearing-in ceremonial of the nation's president successful January astatine a clip erstwhile Southern California was astatine precocious hazard of fires, Fox Digital antecedently reported. The Palisades Fires began connected Jan. 7, with Bass not returning to California until the pursuing day.
A newsman confronted Bass astir her overseas travel arsenic she exited the level upon her instrumentality to Los Angeles, but she refused to reply his questions.
"Do you beryllium citizens an apology for being absent portion their homes were burning? And bash you regret cutting the Fire Department fund by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?" Sky News newsman David Blevins asked arsenic Bass was seen waiting to exit the plane.
A chopper drops h2o connected the Palisades Fire successful Mandeville Canyon connected Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
"Have you perfectly thing to accidental to the citizens today?" helium added, but Bass did not respond successful a video that subsequently went viral.
Photos aboriginal emerged showing Bass astatine a cocktail enactment successful Ghana conscionable moments earlier evacuation orders were issued implicit the raging fires, Fox Digital antecedently reported.
LA MAYOR BASS POINTS FINGERS WHEN GRILLED ON AFRICA TRIP AMID BOTCHED WILDFIRE RESPONSE
"The statesmanlike delegation was hosted by the United States ambassador to Ghana connected the mode to the plane," Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said successful effect to the photos astatine the time. "For the bulk of the time, the politician was successful a antithetic country connected calls from LA."
Bass said successful February during an interrogation with Fox 11 Los Angeles that she "felt perfectly unspeakable not being present for my city."
"Would I accidental it was a mistake, absolutely. The thought that I was not contiguous was precise painful," she added.
LA Mayor Karen Bass precocious admitted to CBS News she regrets being successful Ghana portion wildfires broke retired successful her city. (AP/Getty)
The woes did not extremity there, however, arsenic Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told section media during the raging fires that she believed the City of Los Angeles and Bass, specifically, failed residents. The occurrence main added that the section had agelong been plagued by staffing issues and deficiency of resources, which she had antecedently elaborate successful a bid of memos to the city.
LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS SACKS FIRE CHIEF WHO SAID CITY FAILED RESIDENTS IN WILDFIRES
"Since time one, we've identified immense gaps successful respect to our work transportation and our quality of our firefighters' boots connected the crushed to bash their jobs since time one," Crowley said astatine the time. "This is my 3rd fund arsenic we're going into 2025-2026, and what I tin archer you is we are inactive understaffed, we're inactive under-resourced and we're inactive underfunded."
"Any fund chopped is going to interaction our quality to supply service," she said. "That is simply a crushed information successful respect to our ability. If there's a fund cut, we had to propulsion from determination else. What does that mean? That doesn't get done oregon that determination are delays."
Bass fired Crowley successful February, citing the erstwhile occurrence chief's handling of wildfires.
"We cognize that 1,000 firefighters that could person been connected work connected the greeting the fires broke retired were alternatively sent location connected Chief Crowley’s watch," Bass said.
English (US) ·