20-05-2025
L.A. city says no digital communications exist for acting mayor during the Palisades Fire
Months after the wildfires scorched a path of destruction through several Los Angeles County communities, the city of L.A. says no digital communications exist for the acting mayor during a critical period of the Palisades Fire.
KTLA has been pursuing public records requests for key officials involved in both fire incidents, from the initial response to the aftermath, with some requests facing significant delays.
One outstanding request from KTLA targeted Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who served as acting mayor during the Palisades Fire while Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country. KTLA had sought communications from Harris-Dawson to gain insight into his response during those critical hours.
Deleted messages, disappearing chats, and a firestorm of L.A. controversy
The initial request, filed weeks after the fires, sought 'ANY digital communications (including email/ text/ WhatsApp/ or other) originating FROM or TO Harris-Dawson over a period of days' related to the Palisades Fire, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the mayor, or former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.
The request was intentionally broad to encompass various topics an acting mayor might address during a wildfire crisis.
On March 11, KTLA resubmitted the request after receiving no response. The office stated the request was too complex for a 10-day turnaround and required an additional 14 days, with a new response date of March 22.
On March 21, KTLA was informed, 'We have records that match your request and will review them and provide them no later than May 21, 2025.' KTLA expressed concern about the additional two months needed and was told the office was processing a 'higher than normal amount' of public records requests.
However, on May 19, months after the fires, KTLA received a one-sentence email from the City Council member's office stating, 'We have reviewed your search criteria and have found no responsive records matching your search parameters. This request is closed.'
This means no emails, texts, or other digital communications from Harris-Dawson related to the Palisades Fire, the LAFD, the mayor, or the former fire chief were provided for the requested period.
Harris-Dawson's office did not explain why they initially stated on March 21 that matching documents existed, only to later claim no responsive records were found.
KTLA is not alone in this experience. The Los Angeles Times received a similar response from Harris-Dawson's office regarding a separate request related to the wildfires, as reported in their article, 'How much did Bass talk to her acting mayor while she was in Ghana?'
KTLA continues to pursue requests with other agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
Legal expert Alison Triessl commented on the public records process and KTLA's efforts, stating, 'Since its inception in 1968, The California Public Records Act was enacted to promote public access to public records. As the Act clearly states, 'access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.' I can think of nothing more central to the conduct of the people's business than knowing why Los Angeles County was ill-prepared to combat one of the greatest natural disasters in this State's history.'
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