L.A.’s Democrat Mayor Accused Of Editing Palisades Fire Report To Hide Failures

Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass is facing a deepening political crisis following allegations that she personally directed the “watering down” of an official report into the 2025 Palisades fire to shield the city from legal liability.

Sources close to the mayor’s office revealed to the Los Angeles Times that Bass pressured fire officials to remove or soften key findings regarding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) shortcomings. The most significant alteration involved the department’s failure to fully staff and pre-deploy engines ahead of the January 2025 disaster, which ultimately claimed 12 lives and destroyed more than 6,000 structures.

While the mayor has repeatedly denied involvement, two confidants told investigators they are prepared to testify under oath that Bass held onto an early draft of the report until the desired changes were made. One confidant reportedly warned the mayor that altering the document was a “bad idea” that would cause significant political damage.

The discrepancy between the drafts is stark. An initial version stated that pre-deployment decisions “did not align” with safety policy. However, the final version released in October claimed the department went “above and beyond” standard protocols —  a claim the report’s own author, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, refused to endorse, calling the final document “highly unprofessional.”

The controversy adds to a legacy of criticism regarding Bass’s handling of the blaze. At the height of the emergency, the mayor was traveling in Ghana for a presidential inauguration, leaving the city as firestorms erupted. Upon her return, she was filmed at the airport ignoring questions about why she had approved a $23 million cut to the LAFD budget — the second-largest cut in her fiscal plan — just months before the catastrophe.

Public records and Times investigations previously revealed that the LAFD failed to keep firefighters on duty for a second shift despite forecasts of “catastrophic” winds. Furthermore, evidence suggests a smaller fire on New Year’s Day was improperly extinguished and left to smolder for six days before rekindling into the massive Palisades fire.

“The mayor didn’t tell the truth when she said she had nothing to do with changing the report,” one source told the Times.

Current Fire Chief Jaime Moore, appointed by Bass in November, has stated he will not investigate who was responsible for the edits, choosing instead to “focus on the future.” However, the revelation of the mayor’s alleged behind-the-scenes role has led some residents and former officials to label the incident a “cover-up.” As legal proceedings loom, the testimony of Bass’s own inner circle may prove to be the most damaging chapter of her administration.