Karen Bass Won’t Testify on Alleged Fraud in LA’s Billion-Dollar Homelessness System

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has refused to appear at a House committee hearing investigating alleged fraud at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and could now face a congressional subpoena.

The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, led by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., had requested that Bass testify Tuesday, Sept. 15, about alleged waste, fraud, and abuse at LAHSA, which has received more than $1 billion in federal funds since 2021.

When the Daily Signal asked whether Burchett would consider subpoenaing Bass to testify at a later date, a spokesperson for the chairman said, “All options are on the table.”

In an interview with MS NOW, Bass said she would not attend due to schedule conflicts. She also criticized the potential cost of complying with the committee’s document request but pledged that her office would cooperate.

“They also asked for a ton of documents,” Bass said. “You can imagine how much money is being wasted, spent, because you have to have attorneys.”

As of Monday morning, Bass’ office had not submitted the requested documents, according to a source familiar with the investigation, though the mayor has until close of business Monday to comply.

“We aren’t expecting to get anything from her office,” the source told the Daily Signal.

The Daily Signal reached out to Bass’ office to ask whether it plans to comply with Monday’s document deadline and whether the mayor would be willing to testify on another date. Bass’ office did not respond by publication time.

The congressional investigation follows a June decision by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to suspend LAHSA from receiving federal funding after alleging repeated “fraud and corruption,” according to Scott Brady, the White House Task Force executive director.

A federal judge later blocked the suspension while LAHSA’s legal challenge proceeded.

Bass herself has acknowledged problems within LAHSA. Her office previously said the mayor has “grave concerns about LAHSA and zero tolerance for mismanagement and negligence.”

HUD said that over a five-year period in which LAHSA received more than $1 billion in public funding, homelessness in Los Angeles increased approximately 100% while funding for permanent housing programs increased 212%.

Despite Bass’ own “grave concerns” about LAHSA, Tuesday’s hearing, titled “Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services,” will proceed without the Los Angeles mayor.

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