A former LA Fire Chief is alleging Democrat Mayor Karen Bass orchestrated a campaign to shift blame for the 2025 Palisades Fire onto her.
Former LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley filed a legal claim Wednesday against the Democratic Los Angeles mayor, sparking new allegations regarding retaliation. The Palisades Fire erupted in January 2025, ultimately killing 12 people and drawing sharp criticism of city leadership, including Bass and Crowley. Just a month after the blaze, Bass announced Crowley’s firing, citing her failure to deploy firefighters to both the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, where a second deadly fire had broken out.
In her claim, Crowley alleges Bass pinned responsibility for the devastating fire on her, despite Bass facing scrutiny for being out of the country in Ghana when the fires started. In a statement provided to ABC7 from a firm representing Crowley, the former chief’s representatives alleged Bass fired her not for any failure in duty but because Crowley “told the truth.”
“The claim sets out a pattern of dishonesty, scapegoating, and unlawful retaliation that destroyed the career of a 25-year public servant not because of any failure in her duties, but because she told the truth,” the statement to the outlet said.
“The tort claim makes clear that Fire Chief Crowley did her job. She told City leadership and the public that Mayor Bass’ budget cuts and the City’s decades of neglect had left the LAFD underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped to handle the rising demands of a growing city, especially one at risk of dangerous wildfires,” the statement added. “Instead of addressing those concerns, Mayor Bass retaliated.”
Additionally, the claim alleges that Bass ignored multiple warnings about $17.6 million in operating budget cuts to the LAFD for fiscal year 2024-2025 and equipment failures prior to firing Crowley, all in an effort to “avoid accountability,” according to FOX11.
“Bass reversed course. She sought to avoid accountability by shifting blame and lying… claims contradicted by public records and Bass’ own prior statements,” the claim states.
In a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation, a senior advisor for the mayor said the lawsuit has “no merit.”
“There is nothing new here. Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to predeploy and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out. This lawsuit has no merit,” Bass’ senior advisor Yusef Robb told the DCNF.
Leading up to Crowley’s firing, Mayor Karen Bass had initially praised the former LAFD chief for her work during the disaster. However, in February 2025, Bass changed her stance, claiming Crowley failed to deploy 1,000 firefighters on the day both fires ignited.
Crowley attempted to appeal the termination to the Los Angeles City Council, but in March the council voted 13-2 to uphold the firing. By August 2025, Crowley filed her first lawsuit against the city and Bass, accusing the mayor of defamation and retaliation.
In her latest legal claim, Crowley is demanding an “immediate retraction of all false and defamatory statements,” a formal and public apology and an “end to all ongoing retaliation,” according to ABC7.
The legal action comes shortly after a Los Angeles Times report alleged Bass “carefully coordinated” the public relations response to the disaster, including the release of the city’s after-action report. Bass has since denied the allegations.
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