According to the report, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass deleted text messages from the first day of a deadly wildfire that destroyed multiple communities in January.
The bus went on a trip to Africa for the president of Ghana when the Palisade fired on January 7th. The mayor did not return to the city until January 8th.
Bass and her office say she is constantly communicating with staff during that 24-hour trip, but her text messages from that time no longer exist. The Los Angeles Times reported.
“Her phone calls are set to not store text messages,” city lawyer David Michelson told the newspaper, adding that Bass' phones have text messages that have been automatically deleted for at least two years.
La Mayor Bass Points points when grilled in Africa Trip On Africa Trip On Botched Wildfire Responsed
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces intense criticism of his trip to Africa at the time of the deadly Palisade fire erupted. (Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times, File)
The Los Angeles Management Code requires most records to be kept for at least two years, but Michaelson argued that “there is no requirement for city officials or employees to store text messages.”
The paper said on January 10th that the mayor submitted a request for public records for all text messages sent and received when he sent on January 7th and 8th regarding fire response or travel plans.
Bass 'Office told the outlet Thursday that there was “no responsive record” to meet the request. The paper stated that Bass 'Office does not provide any reason to show why it withholds records.
The newspaper says California's public records law does not have specific rules regarding document retention, but if an agency rejects a request, it must state why.
La Mayor Karen Bass took a photo at a cocktail party when the Palisades Fire exploded
Bass faced rebound on her trip and lost response early in the wildfire.
Firefighters watched him drop helicopter water into the Pallisard Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles on Saturday, January 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Last month, Bass admitted that travelling in Africa was “absolutely” wrong and that she was working to regain public trust.
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“It's definitely true, and I think we have to demonstrate every day by showing what we're doing, what's working, what's the challenge,” Bass told NBC Los Angeles when asked if they were trying to regain confidence.
Cameron Arcand of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
