Report: L.A.’s Democrat Mayor Karen Bass Controlled Media Strategy After Devastating Wildfires

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) was reportedly in control of media strategy regarding the devastating 2025 wildfires.

Bass apparently controlled how questions from the media would be handled after federal prosecutors said the Palisades fire was ignited by a previous smaller arson fire, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday, citing an internal email it reviewed.

Bass’s approach also involved “the release of the highly anticipated Palisades fire after-action report, hours after the prosecutors’ announcement and as the Los Angeles Fire Department was facing criticism for not putting out the earlier blaze,” the newspaper continued:

“Any additional interviews with the Fire Chief would likely depend on the Mayor’s guidance,” LAFD spokesperson Capt. Erik Scott wrote in an Oct. 9 email to a Bass aide, then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva and others. “Regarding a press conference, I would be cautious as it could invite a high volume of challenging questions, and this would also be contingent on the Mayor’s direction.”

Bass has also been accused of ordering the watering down of the after-action report following the wildfires that left several people dead and numerous others homeless.

Residents were outraged over the way leaders handled the tragedy. More than 1,000 victims gathered on the anniversary of the fires in January where speakers accused Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Bass of “negligence” before, during, and after the fires, Breitbart News reported.

Aerial video footage shows the aftermath of the raging fires and smoke rising into the sky:

Meanwhile, Newsom has avoided accountability and shifted attention away from the Palisades fire to focus on so-called “climate change” and insurance access, Breitbart News reported in November.

“Newsom has faced scrutiny from federal officials, legal challenges from displaced residents, and intense criticism from those who accuse his administration of negligence, obstruction, and policy exploitation in the aftermath of the blaze,” the article reads.