Billionaire developer Rick Caruso has voiced his criticisms regarding Spencer Pratt’s surprising run for mayor, while also sharpening his attack on the current Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, especially in light of her handling of last year’s devastating wildfires.
Caruso expressed that, while he thinks Pratt’s intentions might be good, Los Angeles simply can’t take the risk of having another inexperienced individual leading a city of nearly four million residents.
“I think he’s a very well-intentioned person,” Caruso noted in a conversation with media, commenting on Pratt’s mayoral campaign which just kicked off and his harsh critiques of Bass.
“The only thing I would say about someone who wants to run is we had someone who had no experience running a city. So I think experience is very important to know how to manage a job like that,” he added.
Caruso, who narrowly lost to Bass in the 2022 election, hinted at a possible comeback in the mayoral race but soon backed off following a report from the Los Angeles Times. The report alleged that Bass may have manipulated the city’s report on the catastrophic Palisades fire.
It accused the mayor of instructing officials to downplay the failures of the Los Angeles Fire Department and to soften critical findings after the fire devastated 16,000 homes, inflicted $150 billion in damages, and claimed 12 lives.
“It’s outrageous. It’s unthinkable,” Caruso commented, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He described the situation as a serious breach of public trust by officials who are supposed to safeguard the community, suggesting that altering such reports undermines efforts to prevent future disasters.
He labeled Bass’s claimed edits to the report a “cover-up,” expressing that it severely compromises the report’s integrity.
When asked about his thoughts on Bass seeking re-election, Caruso humorously said he might regret what he could say, choosing instead to imply that some leaders might lack the awareness of their responsibilities or shy away from accountability.
“She’s not willing to take responsibility for anything. That’s not good leadership. That’s bad leadership,” he stated bluntly.
Bass, facing significant scrutiny regarding her actions surrounding the fire, has steadfastly denied any allegations of altering the incident analysis.
