Official handpicked by Mayor Bass to oversee LA Fire Department put on leave over alleged bomb threat

A man appointed by Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to oversee public safety in Los Angeles has been on leave for nearly a month in connection with a bomb threat made against Los Angeles City Hall.

About a week before Christmas, FBI agents raided the home of Brian Williams, the deputy mayor of public safety in Los Angeles, on suspicion that he had called in a bomb threat at Los Angeles City Hall. Los Angeles police officers opened an investigation into the threat but later handed the investigation over to federal agents because of the suspect's connection with their department.

"Our initial investigation revealed that the source of the threat was likely from Brian Williams, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety," LAPD said in a statement. "Due to the Department’s working relationship with Mr. Williams, the investigation was referred to the FBI. The FBI remains the investigating agency."

After the raid, Williams was placed on administrative leave. Sources told the L.A. Times that the bomb threat associated with Williams was made sometime in October.

"The mayor takes this matter very seriously," said Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Bass. "When the threat was reported, LAPD investigated and determined there was no immediate danger. Following additional investigation, LAPD referred this matter to the FBI for further investigation."

'It didn’t have to be this way.'

Williams' attorney, Dmitry Gorin, said his client "strongly maintains his innocence."

"Importantly, he has not been arrested, nor charged, and will continue cooperating with the investigation through his attorneys," Gorin added.

The FBI apparently did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.

Mayor Bass appointed Williams to join her team in February 2023. Among his responsibilities was overseeing the Los Angeles Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Management Department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, and the Los Angeles World Airport Police, the New York Post reported.

The Times claimed that Williams was a member of Bass' "trusted inner circle" who helped her select Jim McDonnell to be the new police chief in October, the same month the bomb threat occurred.

Williams was already a familiar face at L.A. City Hall prior to his appointment by Bass, having served as deputy mayor two decades earlier under then-Mayor James Hahn. He has also reportedly been a city attorney as well as the executive director of the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission.

In its reporting on the raid of Williams' home last month, the Times gave several flattering descriptions of Williams:

• "The revelation brought a range of responses, from the requisite internet snark ... to open-mouthed shock of City Hall and LAPD staffers who said in private conversations that the allegations didn’t square with the man they knew."
• "If true, the allegations would mark a stunning turn for a widely liked public official, who was described by several people in city government as soft-spoken, a dapper dresser and a co-worker who had never shown anger or impulsive behavior on the job."
• "Some in the city’s Black political and religious establishment have rallied behind Williams, issuing statements of support and disbelief."