A Los Angeles deputy district attorney is suing his boss on the eve of facing a tough re-election fight Tuesday.
The infighting between Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon and his office could continue to cost county taxpayers millions of dollars even if he loses.
Gascón faces about two dozen similar retaliation lawsuits from the same office's general public prosecutors who blew the whistle on conduct they deemed to be soft on crime, unfair to victims and potentially illegal. There is.
Sean Randolph, also a deputy district attorney, filed a lawsuit seeking retaliation, alleging that he was transferred to a lower position after he raised concerns about Gascón's policies that could violate victims' rights under Marsy's Law. The lawsuit resulted in a $1.5 million settlement last year. Another prosecutor, Richard Doyle, received an $800,000 settlement in his own whistleblower case.
Los Angeles prosecutor says he sent cops to threaten Gascón at her home after her boss whistleblowed Soft on Crime memo
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Tatiana Chahoian has fallen on hard times after blowing the whistle on a memo about how to prosecute street racing and street “takeover” cases in the county in an interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles. (FOX11 Los Angeles)
Mr. Gascon was recently ousted in a separate retaliation lawsuit brought by John Lewin, the acting prosecutor who imprisoned real estate heir Robert Durst for his role in “The Jinx: The Life and Death of Robert Durst.”
In September, the entire Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys filed a lawsuit against Gascón, accusing him of wrongfully denying or ignoring public records requests.
The latest lawsuit comes after Rebecca Grossman, a wealthy Los Angeles socialite, killed two boys and narrowly missed hitting their mother and third child, prompting prosecutors to open a street horse racing case. This comes from another deputy prosecutor, Tatyana Chahoian, who expressed concern about the memo urging the downplaying. pedestrian crossing.
In response, Gascón allegedly sent armed police officers with letters of reprimand to her home, prevented her from receiving regular promotions, and imposed an “overwhelming workload” of between 60 and 100 jobs a day. are. The complaint alleges that the alleged retaliation caused Chahoian to become so ill that he lost health, weighed only 89 pounds, and was forced to take multiple leaves of absence from work while recovering.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon addresses the media during a press conference regarding developments in the case of brothers Eric and Lyle Menendez, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
“To illustrate this grueling schedule, Ms. Chahoian was required to be present in so many locations that she could not even go to the restroom without permission,” her attorney wrote in the civil complaint. .
After suffering a seizure while driving home from work, she obtained a doctor's note that says she can't drive for more than 15 minutes at a time. Her boss made her commute 55 minutes for a month, then transferred her to a different position, where she quickly thrived, according to the complaint.
According to Chahoian's complaint, John Harlan, Gascon's chief deputy in charge of assessing charges, wrote in an internal memo that the suspects accused of street racing, reckless driving, and non-injury road hijacking should be criminally prosecuted. He asked prosecutors not to pursue the case.
Instead, prosecutors were told to consider a “pre-petition deferred prosecution,” which her lawyers likened to a “stern warning with minimal liability.”
Investigators from the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office delivered a letter of reprimand to the prosecutor's door, a move the recipient claims was aimed at blackmailing her for speaking out about the controversial memo. (Courtesy of Tatyana Chahoian)
“WOKE'' DA is sued by his own agency for ethics protection charges and charged with a felony
Chahoian said the memo encouraged prosecutors to “act contrary to the law” and expressed his concerns in an interview on local television after receiving the memo.
“It's like saying if someone fires a gun at another person and the shot is bad and misses, we won't press charges because nothing happened,” she said. FOX 11 Los Angeles At the time, an internal notice added that she was in a “state of shock”.
She told Fox News Digital that an armed prosecutor's office investigator showed up at her door a few days after the interview aired, and that she received a disciplinary warning that would have otherwise been sent to her via email. .
Gascón's office also made her eligible for promotions in retaliation for her public statements, according to the complaint.
“For nearly four years, George Gascon lied to the people he was sworn to serve,” Chahoian said through his defense team over the weekend. “His misguided policies have increased violence and amplified the 'criminal-victim, victim-nuisance' rhetoric.”
Gascón will face independent candidate Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, on Election Day. He has the support of the deputy prosecutors union and many private prosecutors who have filed retaliation charges against Gascón and challenged his policies.
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“Ms. Chahoian acted in the public interest by voicing concerns about prosecutorial policies that put her life at risk. This case was filed in the face of Gascón's attempts to intimidate her into silence. also underscores her courage in defending these values,” said Anthony Fusaro, one of her attorneys. said in a statement.
“By consistently putting the interests of criminals ahead of the lives and safety of Los Angeles residents, Gascón has ignored his obligation to uphold justice, and his response to criticism is that he has been forced to work with prosecutors to protect the public.” “It shows a disturbing reliance on intimidation rather than constructive engagement.” ”
A spokeswoman for Mr. Gascon's office declined to discuss the lawsuit.
“Our office does not comment on pending litigation or personnel matters,” he told Fox News Digital.
