Former Sheriff Villanueva Files Claim Against LA County Alleging Defamation

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has filed documents signaling his intent to sue the county for $25 million, saying his name was “smeared” professionally by placing him on a “do not rehire” list.

He was placed on the list after a county oversight panel found he had harassed and discriminated against two county employees during his time in office from 2018 to 2022. In one case, he accused the county’s inspector general of being a Holocaust denier. In another, he harassed a woman of color who was employed by a county supervisor, according to the panel.

In a claim letter sent Wednesday to the county board of supervisors that was first reported by the Los Angeles Times, Villanueva says his career was “dealt a lethal blow” when county authorities allegedly held secret, closed session meetings last fall without notifying him or allowing him to defend himself.

As a result of those meetings, the letter states, Villanueva’s reputation was damaged and he was blocked from ever being rehired by L.A. County again. The letter notes that Villanueva filed public records requests seeking information about the proceedings, but the responses were untimely or incomplete.

An attorney for L.A. County said authorities have not had a chance to fully evaluate the claim, but added: "At this point, however, we can say that the county takes seriously its statutory requirement to be transparent about its peace officers’ actions, including the type of sustained misconduct that led to a 'Do Not Rehire' recommendation for former sheriff Villanueva."

A claim is typically a precursor to a lawsuit.

Villanueva was elected sheriff in 2018. He ran again in 2022, but lost to current Sheriff Robert Luna.

Villanueva most recently ran for a seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, but did not receive enough votes in March to force incumbent Janice Hahn into a November runoff.