Recall of Los Angeles District Attorney Formally Launched

Representatives of crime victims, former and current prosecutors and Los Angeles political leaders launched the campaign to recall LA District Attorney George Gascón on February 27.  Former District Attorney Steven Cooley, former City Council member Dennis Zine and Former LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich are backing the effort.  Ben Poston of the Los Angeles Times reports that the recall effort will have 160 days to gather roughly 580,000 signatures to put the recall on the ballot.  According to proponents their campaign already has 40,000 members.  Opposition to Gascón has been fueled by a list of “directives” he issued shortly after he was sworn in.   Among them is one which eliminated sentencing increases for habitual felons required by state law, and another essentially abolishing the death penalty for any murderer in Los Angeles County.   Another Gascón directive eliminates cash bail for arrestees, although 54% of Los Angeles County voters rejected a ballot measure to do this last November.

The article notes that Gascón “vowed to make many of these reforms during a contentious election campaign against incumbent Jackie Lacey—one in which law enforcement and prosecutors unions across California spent millions in a failed bid to defeat him.”

The Times article leaves out some important facts regarding the election.

Yes, law enforcement groups pooled roughly $7 million to support Lacey’s re-election.  But Gascón received $12.5 million for his campaign…$5.4 million more than Lacey.  Gascón’s largest contributions included $2.25 million from hedge-fund billionaire George Soros and $2.15 million from Nexflix founder Reed Hastings and his wife.  In 2011, then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Gascón District Attorney of San Francisco, where he served until 2019.  As noted in the Times last November,  both current San Francisco Mayor London Breed and longtime City Attorney Dennis Herrera opposed Gascón’s election to replace Jackie Lacey as Los Angeles District Attorney.