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Nick Gerda
What I cover
I’m a reporter focusing on government accountability in Southern California, including around the homelessness crisis. I try to find answers to questions like: Why does it often seem like there’s so little progress around homelessness? What can be done to make systems more effective? And how are people in charge of these systems using their authority?
My background
I grew up in L.A. and Orange County and previously covered the county government in Orange County for more than a decade — often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health and the role of money in politics. At LAist, my reporting on corruption spurred a criminal investigation that led one of Orange County’s most powerful officials to resign, plead guilty and get sentenced to years in prison for a scheme that diverted millions in food money from needy seniors. For that work, in 2025, I was honored to be named journalist of the year for California, SoCal and Orange County and to receive the national Dan Rather Medal for News and Guts.
My goals
I want my coverage to inform the public and inspire positive change by identifying areas for improvement in the ways leaders are exercising power.
Best way to reach me
Email: ngerda@laist.com. Signal: @ngerda.47
Stories by Nick Gerda
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The ethics proposal deadlocked among O.C. supervisors 2-to-2. O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do, who directed millions to his daughter’s nonprofit without publicly disclosing the connection, was absent for the vote.
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County records obtained by LAist show O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do directed an additional $6.2 million in taxpayer dollars to his 22-year-old daughter’s group without publicly disclosing the family ties.
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“The public's trust is being eroded by people who abuse the process,” Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento told LAist.
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The audits are for $4 million earmarked to provide meals for seniors and people with disabilities. LAist previously reported Do directed funding to the group without disclosing his family ties.
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Federal judge David O. Carter says he wants the VA’s West L.A. campus to dramatically increase the housing available for veterans to include space for about 4,000 people.
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Mayor Bass made an ambitious campaign pledge to address homelessness by housing 17,000 Angelenos. We’ve been trying to keep tabs, but it’s complicated.
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Sarmiento is calling for changes in how Orange County awards contracts after LAist reports that his colleague Andrew Do failed to disclose that his daughter ran a nonprofit that received millions of taxpayer dollars.
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It’s the second high-profile instance to emerge recently of O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do not disclosing a relevant family relationship during official proceedings.
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Over the past year, Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do was involved in directing $3.1 million to a mental health center where his daughter, Rhiannon Do, was president.
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The proposal is headed to the full city council for final approval. You can weigh in before the vote.
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The funding for the troubled nonprofit comes on top of a previous $10 million the council approved in June and another $2 million earlier this month.
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Bass followed up with the VA secretary on a federal rule that LAist previously reported was keeping hundreds of unhoused veterans with disabilities around the country from accessing housing.
