California’s attorney general will review several investigations conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department amid allegations by county officials that Sheriff Alex Villanueva is abusing his power by investigating his critics.
In a letter last month, Los Angeles County Counsel Rodrigo Castro-Silva urged Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to take control of the “intimidating, politically motivated investigations initiated or threatened” by Villanueva.
“Sheriff Villanueva has used these investigations to discourage legitimate oversight of himself and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and to retaliate against any public official who criticizes him or the Sheriff’s Department,” Castro-Silva said in the Dec. 6 letter, which was later made public.
Castro-Silva pointed to a several cases opened by the Sheriff’s Department, including a long-running criminal investigation into allegations made by department officials that Inspector General Max Huntsman and others improperly downloaded confidential personnel records on Villanueva and others. Castro-Silva said that Huntsman made a written request for the records and accessed them as part of his oversight duties.
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