The Los Angeles Times has filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, arguing that officials are unlawfully withholding and deleting public records, specifically the mayor's text messages during January's wildfires. The city contends it isn't required to retain such records, but the Times asserts that allowing officials to erase communications sets a troubling precedent. The lawsuit includes insights into Mayor Karen Bass's actions amid the crisis, raising questions about accountability and transparency in public office.
"It's bigger than these text messages," said Kelly Aviles, outside counsel for The Times. "The city seems to believe they can destroy whatever they want whenever they want..."
The Times is arguing that empowering public officials to scrub records sets a dangerous precedent and that they have a duty to retain public records.
Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana when the fires broke out on Jan. 7, attending a delegation, despite warnings about the potential for explosive wildfires.
The exchanges published by The Times provided an early insight into the mayor's actions during the city's crisis but could have remained secret.
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