Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Deletes Messages from Wildfire Response

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing mounting criticism after reports revealed that text messages she claimed to have sent during the January wildfires were never saved.

The controversy comes as questions arise over her absence from the city when the fires erupted and her office’s failure to provide records of her communications.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Bass’ phone is set to auto-delete text messages, preventing any public record of her communications while she was in transit from Ghana.

BREAKING: LA Mayor Karen Bass can NOT share her text messages from the time she was returning home from Africa during the wild fires.

Why? A city lawyer says SHE DELETED THEM.

Experts say that likely violates the city’s document retention policy.

“No one is above the law” ‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/sWFPCShw4R

— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) March 8, 2025

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The mayor had been attending the country’s presidential inauguration despite previously stating she would not leave the country during her tenure.

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On January 7, wildfires broke out in Pacific Palisades, prompting emergency response efforts as strong winds and dry conditions fueled the flames.

At the time, Bass was more than 7,000 miles away on what her office described as a diplomatic mission to Africa.

The mayor’s office has insisted that she remained in “constant communication” with officials on the ground as she returned to Los Angeles.

However, the absence of any text message records has raised questions about the accuracy of those claims.

The issue came to light when The Times submitted a public records request on January 10, seeking all text messages related to the fire response and Bass’ travel plans from January 7 and 8.

Nearly two months later, her office responded, stating that there were “no responsive records” available.

City attorney David Michaelson later confirmed that Bass’ phone is programmed to delete messages automatically.

“Her phone is set not to save text messages,” he told The Times.

Michaelson also argued that there is “no requirement that a city official or employee save text messages.”

However, Los Angeles’ own document retention policies mandate that most records be preserved for at least two years.

Under California law, “any writing” related to government business is considered a public record.

While city policies dictate that records should generally be retained, Michaelson relied on a 1981 opinion from the state attorney general to claim that text messages are not explicitly covered under those rules.

Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 12.3(b)(6) states that city records “shall be retained for a minimum of two years unless a shorter period is otherwise permitted by law.”

Despite this, the city’s legal team argues that text messages are not subject to the rule.

Bass has already faced backlash for being out of the country as the wildfire emergency unfolded.

Weather reports had warned of hurricane-force winds and dangerously dry conditions leading up to the fire, yet Bass was overseas at the time.

Her administration’s refusal to provide records of her communications has only deepened concerns about transparency.

Critics argue that the absence of text messages undermines her claim that she was actively involved in coordinating the fire response.

As scrutiny intensifies, it remains unclear whether Bass or city officials will face further legal challenges over the handling of public records.

For now, the lack of documentation raises more questions than answers about her leadership during a critical moment for Los Angeles.

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