the current

Month: March 2024

  • Complaint Filed Against LASD Detective for False Testimony Resulting in Wrongful Murder Conviction

    Complaint Filed Against LASD Detective for False Testimony Resulting in Wrongful Murder Conviction

    An updated complaint was filed against Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide detective Dan McElderry after it was revealed in recent court findings that McElderry lied in a case leading to the false conviction of Miguel Solorio who was wrongfully convicted of murder.

    The defense and the prosecution’s failure to impeach Detective McElderry’s false testimony led to Solorio spending over two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit.

    Solorio was exonerated in November of 2023.

    This recent discovery of McElderry’s false testimony led to an updated complaint filed by Dr. Ronda Hampton, an advocate for Mitrice Richardson who went missing on September 17th, 2009, after being released from the Lost Hills Station shortly after midnight with no cell phone, no money and no means of transportation to safety.

    Richardson’s partially mummified skeletal remains were found 11 months later just six miles from the Lost Hills Station and 1.5 miles from where she was last seen.

    McElderry was one of the detectives on scene who made the controversial decision to move Richardson’s remains without permission from the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office.

    As a result of the mishandling of Richardson’s remains and the failure to properly document the crime scene, Richardson’s death was ruled inconclusive.

    LASD Detective Dan McElderryPhoto byThe Daily Breeze

    Dr. Hampton who was alerted to McElderry’s false testimony in the Solorio case just last week, filed a formal complaint with LASD on March 22nd:

    “This serves as my official complaint against Detective Dan McElderry of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for the illegal removal of the naked skeletal remains of Mitrice Richardson in August 2010. I originally filed a complaint in 2011 and Detective McElderry was cleared of any wrongdoing; however, in light of new information regarding the behaviors and actions of Detective McElderry, I am requesting a re-investigation of his actions based on my original complaint as follows.

    It is alleged that LASD detectives Dan McElderry and Kevin Acevedo engaged in the criminal act of removing the skeletal remains of Mitrice Richardson against the direct orders of the Los Angeles County Coroner officer, Assistant Chief Ed Winter, on August 9th, 2010. Additionally, and in violation of the state penal code, LASD personnel did not immediately notify the coroner’s office of the discovery of human remains and instead waited approximately one and a half hours before notification.

    The illegal act of removing Mitrice Richardson’s body was not only a violation of the law, but also so severely compromised the potential crime scene that the coroner was unable to perform critical analysis at the site where her remains were discovered. The crime scene and her remains were not properly photo-documented and appropriate samples were not taken due to the improper removal of her remains by the LASD detectives which significantly interfered with the ability of the coroner’s office to find cause and manner of death.

    The criminal acts of removal of Mitrice Richardson’s body and destroying potential crime scene evidence warrant prosecution.

    My request for the re-investigation of the actions of Detective McElderry is based on recent information learned about his actions in cases dating back at least 25 years. It has recently been brought to my attention that Detective Dan McElderry has been implicated in the wrongful incarceration of Miguel Solorio who was arrested in 1998 and convicted of murder in 2000.

    Detective McElderry has been accused of perjury or falsifying facts leading to the wrongful conviction of Mr Solorio. Mr. Solorio was exonerated in November of 2023 due to the discovery of the actions of Detective McElderry in his case. I am also aware of a complaint filed by Miguel Guitierrez who also accuses Detective Dan McElderry of malfeasance while he was the detective investigating Mr. Guitierrez for murder. While Mr. Guitierrez was not successful in his complaint against Detective McElderry and he remains incarcerated, it is my hope that the recent exoneration of Mr. Solorio will lead to the reconsideration of the case of Mr Guitierrez.

    It should not be the case that Detective McElderry gets to walk away free and clear while the department is aware of his actions in the case of Mr. Solorio and there should be great concern for any case that he has investigated during his tenure as an employee of the LASD. I look forward to the results of my request for the re-investigate of the actions of Detective Dan McElderry in the case of Mitrice Richardson.”

    The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced the renewal and increase of a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for the person(s) in connection with the suspicious disappearance and heinous death of Mitrice Richardson. The reward now stands at $20,000.

  • The War on Cops

    The War on Cops

    “A society which chooses war against the police better learn to make peace with its criminals.” – Anonymous

    Cops Are tired.  Who can blame them?

    Over the past few years, they have been relentlessly attacked by those who would destroy not just them personally, but the institution as well.  Cries of “defund the police,” “all cops are bastards,” along with other less printable verbal attacks have become commonplace in some sectors of society. Much of this noise has come from the anti-cop, anti-law enforcement elements who have gained a foothold in the mainstream media narrative of today.

    Cops have been vilified, marginalized, maligned, physically attacked, shot, stabbed, beaten, bitten, ambushed, all in record numbers across this country.  In my nearly 45 years of experience in the law enforcement community, I can honestly say that I have never seen such vitriol being directed towards the profession. The looming question for me is simply ‘why’?

    To be sure, there have been some instances nationwide where the actions/inactions of an officer or officers have come into question, and rightfully so.  My mind goes directly to the school shooting that took place at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, where dozens of cops delayed any attempts to confront the shooter for over an hour, during which time the carnage continued unabated.

    Law enforcement outside Uvalde’s Robb elementary school on the day of the shooting. Photograph: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP

    The lack of response in this instance sickens me to my core. Having been trained in the realities of an “active shooter,” I was well prepared to do what had to be done.  Even if I was the first and only officer to respond to an incident like the one in Uvalde, I know precisely what I would have done; immediately go in search of the shooter(s) and neutralize the threat or risk my own death in the process.  To do anything less would cause me to be haunted for the rest of my days on this earth. Every single cop I know feels exactly the same way.

    There have been a number of other publicized incidents over the past couple of years that have also shed a negative light on the law enforcement profession. Many of them have been used to paint all of law enforcement with an unfair broad-brush approach. Let’s face it, police training across this country is not consistent.  What works in a small town in the Midwest may not be of any practical value in Los Angeles County, and vice versa.  Any unilateral attempts to draw similarities are simply not reasonable.

    With that being said, the harsh reality of today is that public perceptions tend to become reality if constantly repeated in the media, particularly if there is no credible counter narrative being offered from the other, pro law enforcement, side.  We can either choose to be mad and disgusted or choose to take positive steps to change the narrative.  I prefer to do the latter.

    We start with the premise that law enforcement has been and continues to be an honorable profession.  People don’t get into the career to make a lot of money or live a cushy lifestyle. As for myself, I chose law enforcement as a way to help protect those who need protection; to pursue those who prey on others.  Things have noticeably changed in the years since I was first sworn in.

    As an institution, law enforcement has historically been reactive and slow to keep up with societal changes. This primarily has to do with the fact that we enforce the laws that are on the books and don’t change course without changes in the laws. In the past, when the laws change, law enforcement follows.  That used to be the natural course of events.  But something has changed, and not for the better.

    The main development I’ve seen over the past several years is the incorporation of weak leadership into the ranks.  This has never been more apparent than within the ranks of my beloved LASD.  As I’ve noted on a number of occasions, the current sheriff is not leading. He is managing, and managing poorly.  The advent of failed/failing leaders in law enforcement has caused many departments to fail right alongside them.  Poor decision making and/or failure to make decisions erodes the very foundation of the affected agencies.

    The current “leadership” at the LASD is not inspiring. It is not encouraging. It has no plan for the future.  It is, frankly, failing to lead in any measurable manner.  After over a year in office, this sheriff has failed to produce any discernible positive results.  There have been suicides, suffocating overtime, critical staffing shortages, failing equipment, less training opportunities, all while the department continues to suffer outlandish and ridiculous criticism from the outside.  For the most part, this sheriff and a handful of his sycophant executives remain silent while the line personnel are pummeled by cop-haters who want nothing less than unfettered anarchy.

    Sheriff Robert Luna, an example of failed leadership at LASD.

    It is my contention that, absent the ability to remove these weak “leaders,” the ability of law enforcement to deal with their sworn duty to protect the public will continue to degrade and diminish to the point of being chronically unable to do the job.  It is also my firm hope that the people of LA County have simply had enough of the anti-cop rhetoric, rising crime rates, follow-home robberies, shootings, street takeovers, drug infested neighborhoods, business and residential burglaries, senseless violence, rapes, and murders, and will do the right thing during the next election for sheriff.

    As I see it, change at the top of the department is the only way to give us all some peace.  I think we’ve earned it.

    Michael Bornman, Captain (ret) LA County Sheriff’s Department, 36 years of service. Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor’s Degree in English, Associate’s Degree in Police Science.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sheriff’s Lieutenant Mired in Allegations of Civil Rights Violations at LA County Probation

    Sheriff’s Lieutenant Mired in Allegations of Civil Rights Violations at LA County Probation

    A 2022 candidate for LA County Sheriff and Lieutenant with the LASD is at the center of multiple incidents that leaves many questioning his command at LA County Probation.

    Multiple sources at the LASD and LA County Probation say Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell allegedly solicited Lt. Eric Strong to run for LA County Sheriff with the intention of watering down votes in an attempt to derail incumbent Sheriff Alex Villanueva who was running for re-election. It is well-known throughout the department that Villanueva and Strong had a contentious relationship while assigned to the Lennox Station.

    As a “reward” for Strong entering the race, sources say Mitchell allegedly directed Sheriff Luna to “loan” him to the probation department and prove his leadership capabilities which could potentially lead to a promotion within the department or another run at candidate for sheriff.

    Strong is currently the Chief of Safety at the Probation Department.

    However, Strong’s leadership at the Probations Department appears to be quite the opposite of what he promised voters during his campaign:

    “I will strive to lead by example, and I will work with the community, stakeholders, and Elected Officials to identify solutions to our many shared problems. My platform is based on what I know is broken, and what our community is demanding their leaders take action to fix.”

    In the last month, whistleblowers have come forward to The Current Report with multiple alarming incidents of kidnapping, illegal detention, false arrest, false imprisonment and a myriad of violations including the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, California criminal and federal civil rights violations.

    On February 18th, 2024, at around 2:00pm, a supervisor with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, arrived to work at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall (LPJH), a juvenile detention facility Located in Downey, CA., operated by the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

    Before entering the facility officers must go through inspection. As the supervisor approached the inspection area, he emptied out his pockets and a sandwich bag containing four pills, ibuprofen, antibiotics, and Mucinex fell out of his pocket.

    An officer who works directly with Strong, informed the supervisor that he could not bring in the medication. The supervisor informed the officer that he was sick and that the pills were his personal medication. The officer instructed the supervisor to place the pills in his car otherwise, he will be refused entry. A K-9 operated by Interquest was also alerted on the Supervisor’s backpack. However, the supervisor had sanitizer in his backpack, which contains alcohol and is what the K-9 was alerting to.

    The supervisor followed the instructions and placed the pills in his car and entered the facility to perform his work duties. A few hours later, at the instruction of Lt. Strong, the supervisor was ordered to the front of the facility for interrogation by the original officer. The supervisor then invoked his Miranda Rights and requested an attorney.

    The officer ignored his request and began interrogating him, taking compelled statements from an individual who has invoked his Miranda Rights. At this point, the Supervisor called his attorney to update his situation. The supervisor then requested to be allowed to leave the facility but probation officials denied his request. The supervisor then called Downey Police Department, informed them that he was being falsely imprisoned and requested assistance.

    Downey Police Department responded and informed probation officials that absent of any criminal charges, they must release the supervisor.

    As the supervisor was being escorted out of the facility, the officer, at the instruction of Strong, handcuffed the supervisor and placed him in a room inside the facility.

    Sources say Strong arrived to Los Padres Juvenile Hall a short time later, and allegedly ignored the fact that the supervisor had invoked his Miranda Rights and continued to illegally interrogate him.

    During the interrogation, Strong allegedly took the supervisor’s vehicle keys out of his pocket and illegally searched his vehicle. Strong stated that he had probable cause to search the supervisor’s vehicle because he observed a bag containing pills on the front seat.

    However, having medication in your vehicle does not give law enforcement probable cause to search your vehicle. Additionally, the supervisor placed the bag containing his medication inside his vehicle at the orders of the officer. This being the case, Strong would have been required to obtain a search warrant, therefore, the search of the vehicle was illegal.

    Strong allegedly confiscated the medication in the supervisor’s personal vehicle and presented them to the Interquest K-9 handler. According to sources, the K-9 sniffed the medication and failed to alert to the presence of any illegal substance. At that point, this should have been case closed. However, the Supervisor had technically been arrested and placed in handcuffs.

    Strong informed Downey Police Department that he was performing an administrative investigation. The supervisor was eventually released from custody without charges.

    According to sources, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, allegedly under the direction of Strong, has started the practice of handcuffing and placing their employees under arrest during administrative investigations. This practice is nonsensical in that it is illegal and a violation of the Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights, something Strong should be well aware given his extensive experience with the LASD Internal Affairs Bureau.

    On February 24th, 2024, during visiting hours at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, a K-9 operated by Interquest alerted on a parent that was there to visit his child in custody at the facility. An officer, the same one in the illegal detention of the supervisor, handcuffed and detained the parent for an unknown period of time. This was allegedly done at the instruction of Strong. It was reported that ultimately, the parent was let free without any charges.

    On March 5th, 2024, at approximately 10 a.m., the Los Angeles County Probation Department officers falsely imprisoned a Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACE) teacher’s assistant due to believing she was was providing drugs to the youth at the facility.

    After searching her belongings, officers from the probation department escorted her to the front of the facility and placed her in a room. The probation department placed two officers at the entrance to the room to ensure she did not leave.

    Strong called the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), who arrived shortly before 2:00pm. The Los Angeles County Probation Department officers presented the evidence to LAPD. The officers informed the probation department that they did not have probable cause to make an arrest. Allegedly at the instruction of Strong, probation department officers continued to detain her for two additional hours and she was eventually released around 4:00 p.m. without any charges.

    As with the prior noted incidents, this also appears to have an illegal detention and violation of her civil rights.

    On March 7th, 2024, Strong and his team (safety and security task force) allegedly arrested a deputy probation officer (DPO) at the end of her shift at Dorothy Kirby Center, a Los Angeles County Probation detention facility, located in Commerce, Ca.

    After arresting the officer, Strong and his team booked her for multiple charges at the Lynwood LASD facility.

    On March 11th, 2024, she was ordered released per 849 (b) (1)PC. No charges were presented to the District Attorney’s (DA) office. It was later reported that Strong and his team did not follow mandated evidence procedures, illegally obtained some of the evidence, illegally searched her car, and illegally searched her cell phone. She was eventually released on March 12th, 2024.

    “Through his reported actions, it is my belief that Lt Strong is attempting to “send a message” to Probation Department personnel that he is on the job and will do whatever it takes to ferret out inappropriate/illegal activity.If any of these incidents are true as presented, however, the only real message he’s sending is that he does not understand civil or criminal law, and has no regard for the rights of employees as evidenced by his apparent multiple violations of the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBAR)” said retired LASD Captain Mike Bornman who spent five years at the Internal Affairs Bureau as a Sergeant and investigator of Deputy Involved Force and Shootings Rollout Team, about the alleged violations that could have potential criminal implications.

  • Man Arrested for Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order Says DA Gascon is his “Uncle”

    Man Arrested for Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order Says DA Gascon is his “Uncle”

    Fernando Gascon, #6771497, was arrested on March 8th, 2024 at 3:34 a.m. on a violation of a domestic violence restraining order revealing to members of the Sheriff’s Department that District Attorney George Gascon was his “uncle”.

    Gascon was booked at the Crescenta Valley station for a $50,000 misdemeanor warrant for disobeying a Domestic Relations restraining order. It was during the booking process that Gascon told deputies District Attorney George Gascon was his “uncle”.

    As a precautionary measure, Gascon was transported to the inmate reception Center where he was classified as a “K-10” prisoner for his safety.

    At 1:57 p.m., the District Attorney’s office was contacted regarding the incident and denied any relation to the LASD that Fernando Gascon is not related to DA Gascon.

    This is a developing story.

  • LASD: The Insidious Nature of Administrative Betrayal

    LASD: The Insidious Nature of Administrative Betrayal

     “Each betrayal begins with trust.” –  Martin Luther 

    The concept of administrative betrayal, or “moral injury” is not a new one.  Frankly, I would prefer to use the term administrative cowardness to describe the actions or inactions leaders take when dealing with their personnel.  In 2023, the publication Police1 conducted a survey of 4100 officers “to explore the biggest issues for recruitment and retention in law enforcement.”

    Somewhat surprisingly, the officers identified administrative betrayal as being the main driver of cops making the decision to leave their respective organizations.  In short, the on the street traumas experienced by the cops on a daily basis paled in comparison to the way they were being treated by their leadership.

    During my research of this topic, I came to understand that we are all innately hard-wired to seek out what is “right.”  Think of it as our internal moral compass. A moral injury is one that violates our deeply held beliefs.  A betrayal of what is right.  This betrayal can manifest itself in a number of ways.

    We only need to look back at events over the past couple of years to find instances of the precursors for moral injury.  The “Defund the Police” movement and subsequent negative media coverage of law enforcement nationwide was, and is, a huge factor, as were the riots, burning of cities, and physical attacks on the police.

    Unique to law enforcement is the reality that when a cop is getting hammered in the press, they are unable to defend themselves like any other non-officer would be able to.  Department policies and the requirements of internal criminal/administrative investigations generally preclude an officer from standing up to defend himself/herself in the court of public opinion. This leaves any possibility of defending the officer up to his or her chain of command. Good luck with that one.

    What we have seen lately, particularly from the current Sheriff and his administration, is the exact opposite of what should be done. Instead of defending his personnel, this sheriff has either chosen curry the favor of the press or align himself with groups opposed to law enforcement, or worst of all, remain absolutely silent. Any of these reactions by department executives are betrayals of the relationship between himself and his personnel.

    Sheriff Robert Luna hugging DA George Gascon in a video released by the District Attorney’s office where Luna reveals Gascon has been his mentor for over two decades.

    I have taken this sheriff to task on a couple of occasions which serve to highlight the issue.  Take for example the widely publicized incident at a WinCo store in the Antelope Valley, wherein a deputy was seen on video, forcing someone to the ground.  Before any inquiry or any investigative efforts, this sheriff chose to stand with anti-law enforcement advocates and note “how horrible” it all had looked.  This understandably left the deputies involved feeling like that had been left hanging out to dry. They had.

    A smarter and better approach would have been for the sheriff to avoid hanging out with the anti-cop crowd in the first place, and simply making a statement that while he strongly supports his personnel, this incident, like any other, would be investigated and evaluated in a thorough and professional manner.  Period.

    This incident also serves to drive home my previous position that until an investigation has been completed and all the facts become known, the sheriff should keep his mouth shut until he has the information in hand.  Make the preliminary statement of support for his personnel and the process, and then butt out.

    Sheriff Robert Luna stand by silently as his “mentor” George Gascon announces he will not pursue the death penalty in the murder of LASD Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. The family was never briefed on Gascon’s intentions and found out on live tv during the press conference.

    Let’s not forget the absolute betrayal of every deputy on the department last year, when the sheriff stood shoulder to shoulder with DA Gascon after the senseless murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, a man whose name he couldn’t even pronounce properly, as Gascon publicly refused to file a death penalty case against his murderer. This was after Gascon had vowed to file the case “to the fullest extent of the law.”

    As the case was presented, the family of the slain deputy was caught completely off guard and had difficulty maintaining their composure as the reality began to sink in.  The sheriff, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber. He didn’t react, he didn’t blink, he didn’t seem concerned at all.  A pretty good indication that he had foreknowledge of what Gascon was about to pull on the family on live television.  Also a good indication that he agreed with the DA’s politically driven decision.

    Based on these and other recent events, I’m not sure the sheriff will be able to adjust. He seems more inclined to hang out with his BFF Gascon and hobnob with those on the political left than to lead a law enforcement agency the size and complexity of the LASD.  All cops should be able to trust that their leaders will protect them from undue hardship and unfair attacks.  While this seems a such a simple thing to do, it does not appear to be the norm any longer.

     

     

    Michael Bornman, Captain (ret) LA County Sheriff’s Department, 36 years of service. Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor’s Degree in English, Associate’s Degree in Police Science. Bornman co-hosts “Undercover LA” on You Tube every Thursday night at 7 p.m. discussing the latest events in LA County Public Safety.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Second Soros DA Recall in Bay Area Headed for Ballot, Heated LA DA Election to Decide Gascon’s Fate

    Second Soros DA Recall in Bay Area Headed for Ballot, Heated LA DA Election to Decide Gascon’s Fate

    Bay Area citizens were successful a second time in the last two years securing enough signatures to recall a second Soros-backed DA after soaring crime has significantly impacted public safety in Oakland-Alameda County.

    “Today the committee behind the effort to recall Alameda County DA Pamela Price submitted way beyond the required number of signatures to trigger a recall. We now wait for county officials to report the number of valid signatures. Of course, Price supporters lie about her record.” said Richie Greenberg, a San Francisco based political commentator and former candidate for Mayor.

    Greenberg was the founder of and driving media force behind the effort to successfully recall San Francisco district attorney Chesa Boudin on June 7th, 2022.

    Recall organizers collected over 123,000 signatures to be verified by the Alameda County Registrar’s office. The group needs 73,500 verified signatures to hold a special election as soon, which if the verified signature reaches that threshold, could be as early May.

    The Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved the public vote on the recall last November.

    “I have never said it before but I am saying it today – we are going to win,” said Brenda Grisham, one of the recall effort leaders. at a press conference outside the Alameda County registrar’s office Monday “We shouldn’t have to do this, but for the safety of our community, the safety of our children, the safety of our businesses, this is something that had to be done. This is a right for the citizens of Alameda County”.

    Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE), the group behnd the Price recall, refers to themselves a broad coalition of Alameda County residents, business owners, victims, victims’ families, and concerned citizens who have come together in the face of rising crime and what it says is a “failure by DA Price to hold perpetrators accountable.”

    “DA Price is jeopardizing the safety of every resident and business in Alameda County, by failing to enforce the law, prosecute criminals, and keep violent offenders off our streets,” the group said.

    According to reports, the group has raised a little over $2 million to secure the necessary amount of signatures.

    GREED AND GASCON

    The Bay Area recall efforts are a prime example of motivated citizens spearheading grass roots efforts and achieving success in removing politicians from office – in start contrast of the money grab and incompetence by political consultants involved in two failed recall efforts after raising over $8 million dollars to remove George Gascon as L.A. D.A.

    The first recall stopped abruptly in 2021 shortly before the first deadline to turn in signatures to re-structure amid an inner power struggle.

    Political fundraiser Cassandra Vandenberg, who was involved in the first effort, took control over the second recall, and according to sources both close and working within both recalls, was the highest paid raking in nearly $2 million dollars for her failed efforts.

    A representative for the recall contacted The Current Report stating that Vandenberg made only $300,000 and was not in charge of the recall. However, sources state otherwise and a lawsuit was filed against the recall naming Cassandra Vandenberg and her husband personally in the suit.

    Based on the in-depth report by Red State Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar, who was in contact with a whistleblower within the recall campaign:

    “The Recall George Gascón effort failed because the committee’s purse strings were controlled by political consultants who were being paid by the campaign, and who contracted with vendors on the basis of cronyism or financial gain instead of competency. Despite the vast sums of money raised and spent, the quality of the signatures submitted to LA County was “embarrassingly incompetent,” in the words of one former professional who viewed some of the materials provided to RedState.

    In addition, campaign insiders say a duplicate check was not performed prior to submitting petitions to the county, and that the numbers provided to the press and donors included these signatures that organizers knew would be disqualified.”

    Voters were left with having to endure another two years of catastrophic crime under D.A. Gascon because of the power hungry political consultants and their inability to secure more than enough signatures despite having four times the amount it took to secure the Newsom recall – which was a state wide effort – as well as the two Bay area recalls.

    Former L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley, a key figure in the two doomed Gascon recall efforts, publicly put his support behind L.A. D.A. candidate Nathan Hochman last spring when the announcement was made he would be running against Gascon.

    Hochman changed his party affiliation to Independent this election after losing the 2022 CA. Attorney General election to Rob Bonta running as a Republican.

    Mike Netter, who helped spearhead the effort to recall Gavin Newsom, the largest volunteer effort in U.S. History, successful in getting the Newsom recall to ballot, raised less than a third than both doomed Gascon efforts, had this to say about Nathan Hochman’s announcement for running for L.A. District Attorney:

    “It seems rather bizarre that Nathan Hochman would abandon the Republican Party which endorsed him last election to align himself with those that have run two failed recall campaigns. I question the motivation of a man running for DA with experience only in white collar crime working with those who may be accused of white collar crimes themselves. Los Angeles needs a look of less corruption, not more. People have lost faith in both their city and county government, including the district attorney. Nathan Hochman just lost substantially in the LA vote for Attorney General. Is he running for the people of LA or just trying to create another fundraising machine to dilute others getting elected?”

    Hochman has raised the most money in District Attorney, over $2 million dollars, however, in the only independent poll by USC/Dornsife, came in third place at 4%.

    Gascon’s top contender Jonathan Hatami came in at 8%.

    A jaw dropping 64% undecided and 52% were unhappy with the job Gascon’s criminal sympathezing directives that have created skyrocketing crime in L.A. County.

    Voters head to the polls today, March 5th.