The Palisades Fire exposed devastating weaknesses in Los Angeles leadership, with Mayor Karen Bass at the center of mounting criticism. Residents accused her administration of failing to act decisively as flames spread, citing delays in evacuation orders, poor coordination with county and state agencies, and an alarming lack of transparency about public health risks. In the aftermath, Malibu and Calabasas were left dealing with contaminated beaches and toxic debris, fueling outrage over the city’s failure to protect surrounding communities. To many, Bass’s handling of the Palisades Fire mirrored the same bureaucratic indifference that had already plagued recovery efforts after earlier disasters like the Woolsey Fire.
Antonio Villaraigosa, now a candidate for governor and newly endorsed by Bass, carries his own history of controversy tied to fire recovery and local politics.
Malibu City Manager Reva Feldman, whose leadership was widely criticized for incompetence, became the center of scandal in the period leading up to the Woolsey Fire, fighting to secure a contract renewal amid growing public scrutiny of her mismanagement at City Hall. Multiple sources, including former Malibu mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner, revealed that Antonio Villaraigosa personally lobbied Wagner and two other council members to approve Feldman’s renewal despite residents’ demands for her removal. Two council members ultimately bowed to the pressure, while Wagner held firm and cast the lone dissenting vote. Soon after, Wagner became the target of an aggressive raid by the District Attorney’s office, which local watchdogs characterized as politically motivated retaliation.
At the heart of the controversy are Feldman’s reported personal ties to a close relative of Villaraigosa. This deepened concerns about whether Villaraigosa’s lobbying in Malibu crossed the line into political strong-arming. The matter was ultimately referred to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for review of possible Brown Act violations, adding yet another layer of suspicion.
Recently Feldman has been tied to the nonprofit “After the Fire” who benefited from Fire Aid funds following the Palisades Fire, raising further questions about how political connections shaped the flow of disaster relief. The non-profit was flagged by Congressman Kevin Kiley, who issued a scathing letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi demanding an investigation. In his words, groups like “After the Fire” have “a tenuous connection (at best) to fire relief and recovery.”
As communities from Malibu to Calabasas continue to endure the long shadow of wildfires, Bass and Villaraigosa’s intertwined records reflect a troubling pattern: when disaster strikes, accountability and transparency are often eclipsed by political alliances, backroom deals, and the interests of those in power.
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