Mayor Bass faces investigation after stories by The Center Square

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) - The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is investigating three separate complaints filed against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for issues exposed by The Center Square in an investigation last month.

One complaint specifically linked to findings from The Center Square's investigation and demanded action from the FPPC. In all three cases, the FPPC sent letters to Bass' attorneys seeking a response to the allegations. In one case, the FPPC wrote it needed more time to determine whether "additional investigation" is appropriate. 

Bass has been accused of using California's behested payment system to solicit large companies for donations while they have pending business before the government. The practice is only legal if the donations go to a third party of Bass' choosing with payments being disclosed properly to the public.

Last month, The Center Square uncovered multiple instances of pending contracts or city business that were not disclosed by Bass at the time of donation. In some cases, Bass failed to disclose multimillion-dollar contract proceedings that were decided within days or weeks of some donations.

FPPC spokeswoman Shery Yang did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the original story and later declined an interview with The Center Square.

"Per regulation we can’t comment on an open investigation," Yang wrote in an email.

Bass has not responded to a request from The Center Square for comment on any of the three cases. Neither has Stephen Kaufman or Gary Winuk, the attorneys who are representing Bass and were contacted by the FPPC for explanation.

"We are requesting information, including documentation, about the allegations described above," wrote Christopher Burton, assistant chief of the FPPC Enforcement Division.

AltaMed's dose of influence

One of the anonymous complaints against Bass centered around the mayor's relationship with AltaMed.

AltaMed and its fundraising arm, the AltaMed Foundation, made a total of three payments at the mayor’s behest from June 2023 through December 2024 totaling $225,000. AltaMed describes itself as a “community-based provider offering quality health care and human services to Latino and multi-ethnic communities across Southern California.” 

Two of the donations went to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, a nonprofit in which Bass serves as an “advisor” to the board. 

Another donation went to Getty House Foundation, a nonprofit associated with the city-owned mansion where Bass lives. Getty House Foundation advertises working on initiatives which “reflect the goals of the Bass administration.” Bass began raising money for the foundation almost immediately after taking office. Tax filings say Bass has not received a salary from either nonprofit.

An investigation by The Center Square found AltaMed has asked Los Angeles officials to take action on several issues important to its organization during the same period in which Bass convinced the company to donate money.

The anonymous complainant referenced The Center Square's reporting multiple times.

On June 9, 2023, AltaMed’s senior vice president of government relations and civic engagement Berenice Nuñez Constant wrote a letter to the Los Angeles City Council urging them to approve a sanctuary motion that would prevent the city from helping federal immigration authorities in their enforcement of immigration laws.

“Immigrants are an integral part of our communities and an essential part of the rich cultural tapestry of Los Angeles,” she wrote. “A robust sanctuary policy is a necessary step to creating a more inclusive, multi-racial and multicultural Los Angeles.”

The City Council voted 12-0 to approve the sanctuary motion that same day. The actual ordinance wasn't adopted until late 2024, with AltaMed again weighing in before the final vote. The ordinance became effective Dec. 19, 2024. 

Within 20 days of AltaMed’s June letter, the company to made its first payment to Getty House Foundation at Bass' behest. Eight days after the ordinance became effective in December 2024, AltaMed made a $200,000 donation to the Mayor’s Fund at Bass' behest.

AltaMed also made a payment to the Mayor’s Fund in July 2024. Approximately 90 days later, Nuñez Constant appeared before the Los Angeles City Health Commission to push for more government healthcare funding, including higher payments to doctors and clinics that treat low-income Californians. In response, the Los Angeles City Health Commission included many of AltaMed’s recommendations in its annual report and vouched for an expansion of the AltaMed Nursing Collaborative.

Around that same time, AltaMed was in contact with the city to discuss a proposal involving city-owned land across the street from City Hall. According to an October 2024 email reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, an AltaMed official said CEO Cástulo de la Rocha had already spoken with Bass about using the property for a Chicano and Mexican art museum and that Bass had “expressed interest.” 

The conversation came roughly three months after AltaMed’s July donation and about two months before its next donation. 

AltaMed eventually proposed a $335 million museum and asked the city for a long-term ground lease of the property at “minimal cost” while spending thousands of dollars on registered lobbyists. In February 2026, the city approved a one-year agreement. The day before that vote, Bass wrote a letter to city park commissioners indicating she “enthusiastically” supported the agreement. The city has since approved AltaMed’s plans for a wellness center and other improvements at the site while voting against those who sought to stop the project due to environmental concerns.

Documents obtained by The Center Square show Bass did not disclose any of AltaMed’s business with the city at the time of her solicitations for money.

According to the anonymous complaint, AltaMed also donated $50,000 to the Committee Against the Recall of Karen Bass, a political action committee (PAC) formed to defend Bass against a 2025 recall campaign. 

"This was the third largest donation to her anti-recall committee," the complainant wrote. "This donation came as AltaMed’s project was pending and shortly after the confirmation of AltaMed executive Christina Sanchez to the (Los Angeles) Charter Reform Commission, who was nominated by Mayor Bass."

Because of that donation, the anonymous complainant accused Bass of violating the Levine Act — a California statute designed to prevent "pay to play."

"According to the FPPC, if you have have accepted a donation in excess of $500, you may not 'attempt to use your official position to influence a governmental decision,'" the complainant wrote. "In this case, Karen Bass contacted the officials under her budgetary control for the purpose of affecting a decision. Karen Bass acted with her authority as the Mayor of Los Angeles when she submitted the official letter of support to the Recreation and Parks Commission. Her actions occurred within 12 months of receiving a donation 100 times the legal limit under the Levine Act... This is an egregious example of pay to play. AltaMed obtained leasing rights to this property for far below market value. It is impossible for Mayor Bass to return this donation, as the committee has been terminated and the allowable time frame to return the donation has since elapsed."

The complaint was filed on Sept. 28, 2026. The FPPC has not disclosed whether Bass' attorneys responded to the allegations within 14 days of being notified.

Airbnb and City Hall

While two of the three FPPC complaints lodged against Bass since August were anonymous, activist William Gude filed the other complaint.

Gude founded Film the Police LA and owns the domain MayorBass.com.

His complaint centered around Bass' relationship with Airbnb.

"Airbnb made a $1,000,000 donation at the behest of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on July 11, 2026," Gude wrote. "Mayor Bass was required to report the behested payment on Form 803 within 30 days. She failed to do so."

Documents obtained by The Center Square show Bass also did not disclose any pending proceedings between the city and Airbnb.

"Airbnb is actively lobbying the City of Los Angeles to change its short-term rental laws," Gude wrote. "This year, Mayor Bass advanced an Airbnb-backed proposal that would relax the City's short-term rental regulations... At the same time, Airbnb has spent heavily to support Karen Bass's reelection as mayor."

Bass' proposed budget — favoring fewer restrictions on short-term rentals — was held in committee approximately three months before Airbnb donated $1 million at Bass' behest.

Airbnb was also involved in litigation against the city at the time of the donation. Just eleven days before the $1 million payment, a judge rejected Airbnb's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

"Given Airbnb's lobbying activity, its substantial financial support for Bass's reelection, and Bass's advancement of Airbnb-backed proposals, the failure to disclose this donation in a timely manner is inexcusable," Gude wrote. "The public relies on the timely disclosure of behested payments to ensure transparency. When a company makes a $1 million donation at the behest of an elected official, reporting that donation within the timeframe required by law allows the public to make informed decisions about policy and politics. Unfortunately, it appears that Mayor Karen Bass chose to act in her own best interests instead. I request that the FPPC take appropriate enforcement action."

The complaint was filed on Sept. 9, 2026. The FPPC has not disclosed whether Bass' attorneys responded to the allegations.

"At this time, we have not made any determination about the allegation(s) made in the complaint," wrote Kendall L.D. Bonebrake, chief of the FPPC Enforcement Division, on Sept. 21, 2026.

Sean McMorris, who manages the transparency and ethics program for California Common Cause, said he believes the FPPC has likely not initiated a "formal" investigation. McMorris, like Gude, has been critical of politicians for the late disclosure of behested payments and for not disclosing a donor's pending government business at the time of donation.

“For me, it's simple," McMorris said. "It's a conflict. Whether it's legal or not, in the eyes of the people, these are conflicts of interest. Most people are going to perceive it that way." 

Smoke from Boyle Heights

Another anonymous complaint against Bass centered around a previously undocumented $2 million donation from Lineage Logistics Services that has since been disclosed to the public.

The complaint was filed on Aug. 5, 2026. The FPPC has not disclosed whether Bass' attorneys responded to the allegations.

FPPC documents show Bass later disclosed the payment from Lineage to California Community Foundation on Aug. 6, 2026.

Although the paperwork was filed more than 30 days after the donation, she did disclose pending city business at the time of the donation. In June, a fire ignited at the Lineage facility in Boyle Heights. It lasted eight days and impacted the neighboring community. Lineage has also paid lobbyists to represent the company's interests before the city.

"Bass is required to file a Form 803 within 30 days of the payment being made, which was June 21st; however she has failed to do so," the complainant wrote. "Bass was aware of the payment being made as she appeared at the same town hall event as (Lineage Chief Operating Officer) Jeff Rivera on June 29, 2026, where Rivera discussed this payment."

While the three complaints against Bass center around three different companies responsible for payments at her behest, the FPPC has not commented on Bass' other donations listed in The Center Square's investigation. FPPC investigators are permitted to open a case on their own accord, even when complaints are not filed.