Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken is facing an extraordinary workplace complaint filed by her own chief of staff, alleging a pattern of excessive drinking, inappropriate conduct and politically charged behavior that spiraled out of control.

Chief of Staff Berenice Ballinas alleges that Aitken repeatedly appeared intoxicated at city-related events, including a City Council meeting. She also claims the mayor once rummaged through a former city manager’s vehicle while being driven home.

The 25-page complaint, released by the city Thursday, accuses Aitken of making offensive comments about Ballinas’ sexuality and directing a racial slur at her.

Ballinas alleges that Aitken called her “a dirty Mexican” in the presence of former City Manager Jim Vanderpool.

The complaint also says the mayor referred to God as “her imaginary friend.”

Aitken has previously denied making racist or homophobic comments.

One of the drinking-related allegations centers on an April 2025 City Council meeting. Ballinas says Aitken appeared “visibly impaired by alcohol” and required a ride after the meeting’s closed session.

Ballinas says she drove Aitken in Vanderpool’s vehicle, where the mayor allegedly began going through the car and the former city manager’s personal belongings while taking photographs.

Because portions of the complaint are redacted, it remains unclear whether Aitken allegedly discovered anything during the search.

In another incident described in the filing, Ballinas says Aitken’s husband stepped in during a Team Anaheim dinner after the mayor became physically affectionate with a person whose identity was redacted.

Ballinas further alleges that Aitken knocked over a bicycle, damaged its mirror and then fell into the street.

She says she told the mayor’s husband that Aitken was not doing well.

His alleged reply, according to Ballinas: “Don’t we all?”

The chief of staff says the alleged drinking and boundary issues extended beyond official city events.

At a June 10 birthday lunch at Disneyland’s Club 33, Ballinas alleges that Aitken drank for several hours, continued drinking afterward and repeatedly asked about Ballinas’ sexual orientation.

Later, at the 1901 Lounge inside Disney California Adventure, Ballinas says Aitken directed similar questions at a Disney Cast Member, asking whether he was gay or straight and about his dating life.

Ballinas also says she questioned a nearly $17,000 trip to Qatar, police overtime and allegations that city employees assisted with Aitken’s prayer breakfast during working hours. The Los Angeles Times’ Daily Pilot reported that the state Fair Political Practices Commission declined to investigate the Qatar trip.

The chief of staff alleges that she later faced retaliation, including the withholding of a salary increase.

The complaint was filed just weeks before Aitken is scheduled to seek reelection in November against two political newcomers.

Aitken and the City Council are scheduled to review the allegations in a closed-door meeting Friday morning.

Aitken’s attorney, Lawrence Lennemann, declined to discuss the allegations with the Voice of OC, saying the claim speaks for itself.

A U.S. Department of Energy employee from Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors accused him of trying to provide “material support” to the Iran-backed Houthi movement, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, allegedly tried to draw on his electrical engineering experience to help the designated terrorist organization strengthen mobile communications, obtain secure drone components and acquire chemicals for improvised explosives.

“The allegations indicate that a U.S. government employee traveled abroad and attempted to use specialized knowledge to assist the Houthis, an Iran-backed group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.

Eisenberg added that Ellaboudy allegedly obtained supplies for making explosives and drones capable of carrying them, calling the accusations “so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.”

Ellaboudy was arrested following an investigation led by the FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Court documents state that investigators began focusing on Ellaboudy after he allegedly purchased precursor chemicals and other materials commonly associated with homemade explosives, along with parts that could be used to assemble drones.

The DOJ also alleges that Ellaboudy took medical leave from his Energy Department position in 2024, claiming he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a substance used in the manufacture of explosives.

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Prosecutors say Ellaboudy used an official passport from his former position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2025 to travel from Washington state to Oman.

From Oman, he allegedly entered Yemen. When he later returned to the United States, investigators say he told border officials that the trip had been conducted as authorized government business.

According to investigators, Ellaboudy also provided guidance to an undercover FBI confidential source who was posing as an associate of a Houthi colonel.

His alleged assistance included testing solar generators, altering power systems, drafting circuit diagrams and supporting the Houthis’ communications capabilities, the DOJ said.

“This individual allegedly betrayed the United States and sought to assist the Houthis, a designated foreign terrorist organization,” said Jarod Brown, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. Brown credited FBI personnel with uncovering the alleged conduct and placing Ellaboudy in custody.

Authorities stressed that the investigation found no indication that Ellaboudy’s alleged actions were aimed at nearby nuclear facilities.

“This matter did not involve an effort to damage the Hanford Site or endanger its workforce, and there was never a threat to the site’s safety or security,” said Ray Geimer, office manager of the Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office.

If convicted, Ellaboudy could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 in Richland, according to the Justice Department.

Pilots flying an Amazon cargo aircraft that crashed onto a roadway were warned repeatedly about the plane’s high speed before landing, but the concerns were not effectively addressed, according to a newly released report.

The 21 Air flight, operating for Amazon, overran the runway at Miami International Airport on September 6 before striking two vehicles. Five people on the ground were killed, while three others suffered serious injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board has published a preliminary report outlining the early findings from its investigation into the crash.

Recordings recovered from the aircraft captured several warnings during the approach, including an automated alert indicating that the plane was traveling too fast.

According to the report, the captain instructed the crew to set the flaps at 20 degrees, prompting the first officer to warn that the aircraft’s speed was excessive.

The first officer continued to raise concerns about the speed during the remainder of the recording, but the report said there was no consistent verbal response from the crew.

Several electronic alerts followed, and the autopilot appeared to disengage only seconds later. After touchdown, one of the pilots called for a “go-around,” an emergency maneuver used to abandon a landing and attempt another approach.

Two people were aboard the cargo aircraft, both members of the flight crew. They suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The aircraft landed approximately 3,750 feet beyond the designated touchdown zone while traveling at about 184 mph, then struck a Ford Econoline passenger van on a road running alongside the airport, the report said.

Seven people were inside the van. Five died in the collision, while two others sustained serious injuries.

The plane then hit a Toyota Corolla Cross SUV, seriously injuring its driver.

It also tore through a chain-link fence around a parking lot before finally stopping about 1,200 feet from the runway.

Investigators found that the pilots did not activate the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers. The report also said air traffic controllers did not relay wind information to the flight before it touched down.

Around four minutes before the landing, a controller had told another aircraft about a 22 mph wind gust. However, the 21 Air crew was tuned to a different frequency and did not receive the warning.

The pilots were identified as Joseph Carroll, 55, and Jaime Felipe Silva Molina, 37. The Miami Herald reported that both men were discharged from the hospital soon after the crash.

The preliminary findings also showed that the fatal flight marked the first time Carroll and Molina had worked together.

Carroll had flown a round-trip flight from Miami to Bogotá, Colombia, the day before. Silva Molina flew a round-trip flight from Miami to Baltimore three days before. 

The captain had about 7,627 total flight hours and was hired by 21 Air in April. The first officer had about 2,800 flight hours and was hired in February of 2025. 

The plane, which was a Boeing 767, was built in June 1994 and was substantially damaged in the crash by a fire on the right wing. 

The NTSB’s 12-page report provided extensive details on the plane and the crash, but did not conclude why the accident occurred. 

Just 30 seconds after the plane crashed, firefighters arrived on scene and found the victims trapped inside their vehicles, Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said at a news conference following the incident. 

‘The plane is on fire. The plane is on fire,’ a firefighter could be heard in emergency radio dispatch obtained by the Miami Herald. ‘Put your game face on guys.’ 

One person was left trapped underneath one of the struck vehicles and had to be extricated by specialized rescue personnel, fire crews told the Daily Mail at the time as they continued to try to stop a fuel leak at the scene. 

The five victims were identified as Rolando Aleman, 55, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, Julio C Pineda, 75, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47.

Pablo Rojas, an attorney representing one of the survivors, 27-year-old Sebastian Perdomo Torres, told CBS News that the NTSB’s report does not answer all his questions. 

‘I don’t know for sure what the NTSB’s conclusions are going to be, but I can tell you that this information does not answer all the questions we have about the broader airline operations. So we will be taking a thorough look at that independently what the NTSB finds about the specific immediate causes of the crash,’ he said. 

On September 13, Amazon announced it would pause operations with 21 Air following the crash. 

‘After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598,’ spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. 

Nantel told the Daily Mail in a recent statement that: ‘The loss of life and injuries resulting from the accident involving 21 Air flight #7598 on Sept 6th weighs heavily on all of us at Amazon. 

‘Our hearts continue to be with the families and loved ones of those who died or were injured, and with the entire Miami-Dade community. We remain committed to supporting the NTSB’s ongoing investigation and ask that any questions related to it be directed to them.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to 21 Air for comment.  

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman’s campaign is facing accusations that it secretly paid social media personalities to promote her while failing to clearly tell voters who was receiving money.

Influencers Kaitlyn Hennessy and Beatrice Gomberg have submitted complaints to city and state ethics authorities. They allege Raman’s campaign did not properly disclose payments linked to a comedian’s company, a campaign staffer with a substantial online following and several anonymous meme accounts.

“When people go through their feeds, they need to know that what they’re seeing is either paid or not,” Hennessy told the California Post.

Under California law, social media influencers who are paid by political campaigns to produce content supporting or opposing a candidate must disclose that sponsorship.

Los Angeles has additional rules governing campaign-related disclosures.

The complaint, obtained by the Post, describes an alleged “sustained” effort to obscure the identities of people who were paid.

A central figure in the allegations is comedian Adam Conover, the creator and star of “Adam Ruins Everything,” who has more than 400,000 Instagram followers.

According to the complaint, Raman’s campaign paid Conover’s company, SwizzleCorp, around the time he was posting messages supporting Raman.

The complaint says campaign finance filings originally described the payments as “online ads,” but later amended them to “video production services.”

The change was also documented in reporting by the Los Angeles Times.

“If you’re being paid by a campaign or a committee, it’s the law, you need to disclose,” Hennessy said.

“But even ethically, why are you running from that?”

Los Angeles political consultant Michael Trujillo offered a sharper assessment, saying the “influencer industrial complex don’t get to have fake moral superiority while being paid off.”

“If they want to post about the candidate or cause they love, great, but the second they accept $1, they need to disclose every post as being paid for by the campaign,” Trujillo said.

Raman’s campaign dismissed the filing as “a frivolous complaint.”

“Nithya’s campaign has been fully transparent and in compliance with state and city law,” the campaign told the Post.

“We proactively sought and received guidance from the City’s Ethics Commission staff on this matter to ensure our compliance with the law.”

Conover described the complaint as “a flimsy political attack that’s easily debunked” and alleged that the influencers who filed it were “secretly working on behalf of the Bass campaign.”

“I’ve publicly supported Nithya’s campaigns since 2020, including on social media, and I’ve never been paid to do so,” he told the Post.

He said one of his staff members performed “a few weeks of hourly work” for the campaign this spring, when the campaign office was still hiring staff. Conover added that the invoices documented every dollar paid by the campaign.

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Invoices Conover gave the Post show five bills from March 9 to April 4 totaling $2,447.13: 80 hours at $30 an hour, plus $12.13 for sign supplies and $35 for cookies.

None mention video or social media.

“All of these expenses were properly reported, in accordance with ethics standards,” Conover said.

The complaint also targets Eric Cheng, who posts as “ericsaymore” to nearly 35,000 Instagram followers and 47,000 TikTok followers.

Cheng joined Raman’s campaign staff in September but continued posting about the candidate on his personal accounts, according to the complaint.

When he announced the job, Cheng wrote that he was “not getting $ to make videos or content about the race.”

Campaign staffers are exempt from the state’s paid-influencer disclosure requirement unless creating social media content is their principal job, according to the Times.

The complaint alleges Cheng was hired in a way that allowed his posts to fall under that exemption.

The complaint also alleges that from about May 14 through at least Sept. 1, anonymous accounts bashed Mayor Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt, the reality-TV star who ran in the mayoral primary, while promoting Raman.

The posts carried a “Paid for by Nithya Raman for Mayor 2026” tag but did not state that the poster was paid or include other wording required by the city, according to the complaint.

Many were also not filed with the Ethics Commission within 24 hours, as required under city rules, it alleges.

Violations of Los Angeles’ rules can carry fines of up to $15,000 or three times the amount of money at issue.

But the complaint itself has become part of the increasingly bitter mayoral battle.

It was prepared by Kaufman Legal Group, the law firm used by Bass’ reelection campaign. A copy obtained by the Post lists its author as Haley Rosenspire, a staffer at the firm.

The Los Angeles Times first reported Thursday that the Bass campaign referred Hennessy and Gomberg to the firm and said it would cover their legal costs.

The Bass campaign told the Times it was not paying the women themselves.

Hennessy disputes the Times’ account of how the arrangement came about. She told the Post that she and Gomberg only asked for a referral and learned about the Bass campaign’s offer to pay their bills along with everyone else.

“We learned with the rest of the world that that was something that the Bass campaign was offering,” she said.

“We have every intent of paying our own legal bills.”

Hennessy said the pair previously filed three complaints against Tom Steyer’s campaign for governor, filed one this week against Steve Hilton’s campaign, and have filed others in Michigan and with the Federal Trade Commission.

The Ethics Commission, Cheng and Kaufman Legal Group did not immediately respond to the Post.