FBI raids home of LA deputy mayor who allegedly made bomb threat against City Hall
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- FBI agents on Tuesday raided the home of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian Williams in connection with a bomb threat he allegedly made against City Hall earlier this year, a spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass said.
The mayor's office was notified of the search, according to a statement released Wednesday afternoon by Bass's spokesperson Zach Seidl.
Williams "was immediately placed on administrative leave," the statement said. "The Mayor takes this matter very seriously. 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."
According to a Los Angeles Police Department statement, the agency's initial investigation determined Williams was likely the "source of the threat.''
Williams' attorney Dmitry Gorin said in a statement that Williams "strongly maintains his innocence and intends to vigorously fight the allegations."
"Importantly, he has not been arrested, nor charged, and will continue cooperating with the investigation through his attorneys," the statement said.
The news shocked councilmembers, who did not want to comment on the matter yet to Eyewitness News, as they were still trying to understand why someone so powerful in City Hall and so close to Mayor Bass would do what he's accused of.
"My number one job as Mayor is to keep Angelenos safe," Bass said in a statement at the time. "The only way to do that is to hold people who commit crimes accountable and to take real steps to prevent crime from happening in the first place."
In February 2023, Bass announced Williams's appointment as deputy mayor of public safety, a role overseeing the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, the Los Angeles World Airport Police and the city's Emergency Management Department.
Williams' close connection to LAPD is why the FBI took over the investigation.
Before coming to work for the city, Williams was the executive director of the Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission, which oversees the Sheriff's Department.
Williams has represented Bass as several events, including in early December when he spoke on her behalf at the swearing in of new L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
City News Service contributed to this report.
