Lawsuit alleges LA County's $2M settlement payout to CEO was an illegal gift

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The allegation: The lawsuit, filed by attorney Alexander K. Robinson on behalf of county resident Ana Cristina Lee Escudero, alleges the payout is illegal because Davenport did not have a valid legal dispute with the county. It also claims county supervisors illegally used the litigation exemption to discuss and approve the settlement in closed session, despite a letter from Davenport informing supervisors she had “no intentions of litigating this matter.”

The response: A lawyer hired by the county, Mira Hashmall, called the lawsuit “baseless” in a statement. She previously said the settlement served a “legitimate public purpose" by avoiding potential litigation. Messages for comment on the lawsuit were not returned from Davenport, County Counsel Dawyn Harrison’s office or the five county supervisors’ offices.

What the CEO had alleged: Records show the CEO payout was in response to claims by Davenport that she was harmed by a ballot measure approved by voters in 2024 that will create an elected county chief executive job at the county after her employment contract expires. Her payment demands said she suffered “reputational harm, embarrassment and physical, emotional and mental distress” caused by the ballot measure. Davenport went on medical leave in October and has not yet returned.

The law: Under the state Constitution’s provision on illegal gifts of public funds, local government settlement payouts are illegal if they’re in response to allegations that completely lack legal merit, according to a court ruling describing how such cases have been decided. And a payout cannot exceed the agency’s “maximum exposure” from a claim, according to another appeals court ruling.

The backlash: Leaders of unions that represent most of the county government’s workers previously told LAist many of their members have been shocked and outraged to learn Davenport negotiated a $2 million payout to herself, after they say she told workers there was no money to give them raises.