The investigative arm of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners has clarified that an investigation into a complaint that former LAPD Chief Michel Moore directed an investigation of Mayor Karen Bass over her receipt of a USC scholarship was closed without a formal finding by the Commission because of Moore's early retirement in January.
"This was a recommended finding only, not an adjudication," the Commission's Office of Inspector General emailed the I-Team, after former Commissioner William J. Briggs II said earlier this month that the OIG had cleared Moore of wrongdoing.
"In fact, there's not a scintilla of evidence to suggest that he [Moore] provided any type of order whatsoever," Briggs announced at the Commission's June 11 meeting.
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The OIG's representative at that meeting, assistant Inspector General Florence Yu, appeared to concur.
"Our investigation, uh, would show that we would recommend an unfounded finding for those allegations," Yu said.
A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said while Moore's retirement precluded the Commission from making a final adjudication, the inquiry wasn't dropped or closed because of Moore's departure, and said enough information was gathered that supported the conclusion Briggs shared publicly June 11.
Moore has denied he gave an order to investigate the Mayor, and the LAPD said last year the LA Times story that first reported the existence of the complaints, was false.
News Release: Department Statement pic.twitter.com/MfTf3xT4gI
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) December 20, 2023
"I did not initiate, request, or authorize an investigation as alleged in any fashion," Moore said in the statement.
In the complaint filed by 2 internal affairs detectives, reported first in December, 2023 by the LA Times, the detectives said they had received orders through their chain of command, but believed they'd been given by Moore, to open an investigation into the scholarship Karen Bass had received in 2011.
Here with @MayorOfLA Karen Bass and @tavissmiley addressing global warming. This is about the ugly impact of environmental injustice on communities of color. @casciencecenter @kbla1580 @cspan @SierraClubCA @CornelWest pic.twitter.com/haoMPQmU3j
— Mark Ridley-Thomas (@MRTempower) June 19, 2024
That, the complaints said, followed the federal indictment of former LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was later convicted of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud for a scheme with USC to provide a full scholarship for his son in exchange for the award of a County social work contract.
Ridley-Thomas was sentenced last year to more than 3 years in prison.
He's maintained his innocent and is free on bond while he appeals the conviction.
Bass has denied wrongdoing in accepting the scholarship, which she said was approved by a Congressional ethics panel, and said she did not author any bills while in Congress that benefited USC.
Her office declined to comment on the Moore investigation.
Lawyers for the detectives who filed the complaint were dismissive of the OIG's findings, and said they thought the matter was closed without a thorough investigation.
"It appears that they are protecting his image as opposed to investigating wrongdoing," said attorney Greg Smith.
