Share and Follow
The Los Angeles Times has released a report on Wednesday that suggests Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles instructed modifications to an after-action review to present herself and the city in a more favorable light while minimizing potential liabilities. For several months, Mayor Bass has denied any involvement in altering the analysis, which was conducted after significant fires ravaged large areas of Los Angeles, particularly in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods.
According to extensive coverage by RedState, numerous failures by both city and state officials have been documented. The report highlights non-functional fire hydrants, neglected key mitigation efforts, an empty critical reservoir, and accusations that some fire department personnel prioritized diversity, equity, inclusion, and LGBTQ initiatives over essential fire preparedness. Additionally, Mayor Bass was notably absent when the fires erupted.
Despite prior warnings about the heightened risk of fires, Mayor Bass was not in the city during the crisis. Instead, she was in Ghana to attend a presidential inauguration, timing that raised eyebrows given the situation back home.
Sources within the administration informed the publication that Mayor Bass indeed influenced the official account. The adjustments she allegedly sought in the report emphasized a shortfall in staffing and the pre-deployment of available fire engines, despite forecasts of strong winds and heightened fire risk being well-publicized.
Insiders tell the outlet that she did indeed change the official narrative, however:
…two sources with knowledge of Bass’ office said that after receiving an early draft, the mayor told then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva that the report could expose the city to legal liabilities for those failures. Bass wanted key findings about the LAFD’s actions removed or softened before the report was made public, the sources said — and that is what happened.
The key changes she allegedly wanted detailed a failure to fully staff up and pre-deploy all available engines, even though oncoming high-intensity winds and severe fire danger had been widely reported.
“The mayor didn’t tell the truth when she said she had nothing to do with changing the report,” one of the sources told the outlet. Although the whistleblowers chose to remain anonymous for the story, two are reportedly willing to testify under oath.
The Los Angeles Times confirms what we all suspected from the beginning:
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass directed the watering down of Palisades fire after-action reports.
She should be headed to prison, not reelection. pic.twitter.com/FofTYpNS4J
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) February 4, 2026
Since September, Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have been the co-leaders of a Senate panel investigating the response to the fires, and this new revelation has them demanding more answers.
.@SenRonJohnson and I sent @MayorOfLA Bass this letter on Oct. 10, 2025, requesting all records related to after-action reports.
I expect the Mayor’s FULL COOPERATION and TRANSPARENCY in light of these allegations. pic.twitter.com/PhdYbBAquZ
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) February 4, 2026
DISASTROUS RESPONSE: LA-Area Fire Chief Mops the Floor With Mayor Karen Bass Over Disastrous Wildfire Response
LAFD Whistleblowers Destroy Official Narrative on Palisades Fire Cause
According to the report, Bass had been warned that her request was politically risky, but she plowed ahead anyway:
Bass, after seeing an early draft of the after-action report, wanted key findings of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s shortcomings scrubbed or watered down — and even warned then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva the unedited conclusions could expose the city to legal liability, sources close to the Democrat’s staff told the Los Angeles Times.
Bass was cautioned that the self-serving tweaks in with the report was a “bad idea” that could torpedo her political career, but still withheld the working draft until after changes were made, insiders told the Times.
Mayor Bass is already facing a crowded field in her reelection bid, with, among others, actor Spencer Pratt announcing a run and County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath reportedly mulling one of her own. The primary will occur in June.
MORE: Spencer Pratt’s Running for LA Mayor, Vows to Disinfect Every Dark Corner of LA Politics
This report is just the latest in a long line of setbacks for the embattled mayor as she tries to put a genial face on a colossal failure of leadership. She should expect Sens. Johnson and Scott to be calling shortly.
Editor’s Note: Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, and the “progressives” are ruining California.