Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing scrutiny after reports revealed that her text messages during the early days of the Palisades Fire were not saved. The fire, which caused significant destruction in the area, began around the time Bass was returning from a trip to Ghana.
The Los Angeles Times requested all text messages from Bass that mentioned fire response or travel plans on January 7 and 8, shortly after the fires started. However, David Michaelson, the mayor’s counsel, stated that Bass’s phone was set not to save text messages. He added that there is no requirement for city officials to keep their text messages. This claim raises questions, as city document retention policies mandate that records be kept for at least two years. Michaelson argued that these policies do not apply to text messages.
Most smartphones automatically save text messages, but users can set them to delete after a certain period. The Times filed its records request just three days after the fires began. Bass’s office took two months to respond, ultimately stating there were no relevant records.
Critics have pointed fingers at Bass for cutting nearly $18 million from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget, which totaled $837 million. Many believe this reduction left the city unprepared for the fires that burned for nearly a month, consuming around 60,000 acres, resulting in 29 fatalities, and destroying over 16,000 structures, with damages reaching billions.
During the crisis, President-elect Donald Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming mismanagement of water resources led to fire hydrants running dry when firefighters needed them. Experts have dismissed Trump’s claims, stating they lack evidence.
Bass had previously assured her constituents that she would not leave the country while serving as mayor. Despite being in Ghana during the fires, she returned to Los Angeles the next day and had access to her phone throughout her trip. The situation has sparked a debate about the responsibilities of public officials in crisis management and the importance of record-keeping for transparency.