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City council sends Rampart oversight question to Public Safety committee after debate over federal role
Summary
Los Angeles City Council voted to send a motion about a joint local, state and federal review of the Rampart affair to the Public Safety Committee, after heated debate over whether the Department of Justice or other federal agencies should immediately take a lead role in the criminal investigation.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 8-3 to send a motion about creating a joint local, state and federal task force to investigate allegations tied to the Rampart investigations to the Public Safety Committee for further study.
The motion, described by proponents as a route to ensure an impartial review after new news reports raised questions about federal agencies’ involvement, prompted extended debate. Councilmembers, the police chief and public commenters disagreed about immediate federal takeover of criminal work and about how to restore public confidence.
Councilmember Feuer argued the city should “elevate the investigation and the prosecutorial aspects of Rampart to Washington” and warned that recent news reports “call into question” the FBI’s ability to participate objectively. He urged the council to seek Department of Justice (DOJ) involvement to assemble a task force led by investigators “other than FBI authorities who have been implicated.”
Police Chief Parks said the department had already asked the FBI to assist and warned that removing local criminal investigators while their work is ongoing could jeopardize prosecutions and statutory authorities. “There is a danger early on of losing some statutes because there’s no way another agency can be formed to come in and take over this case,” Parks told the council. He said Internal Affairs had opened inquiries tied to the published allegations and that the department has been working criminal and administrative leads for months.
Other councilmembers voiced differing priorities. Councilmember Wax said the revelations in the media showed a “taint” that required an outside look; he urged broader independent review to prevent recurrence. Councilmember Bernsen and others said they preferred to let ongoing internal and commission-led processes continue and recommended sending the matter to committee to allow the board of inquiry and pending criminal investigations to progress without preemptive action.
Two separate council actions related to outside involvement were put before the body later in the day. A proposal to have the council president send an immediate letter to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting a full briefing for the council failed on a 6-5 vote. The measure to refer the broader motion to the Public Safety Committee passed 8-3.
Public comment at the meeting underscored public demand for an independent review. Speakers asked for a follow-up independent commission like the Christopher Commission that investigated LAPD practices in the 1990s.
The council’s decision sends the issue to the Public Safety Committee for a more structured review of whether, when and how federal authorities should be asked to participate in or lead elements of the Rampart-related criminal inquiry and related oversight work. The Board of Inquiry report referenced by the chief was due to be released publicly the day after the council meeting; council members said committee review should follow that release.
