Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is refusing to sit for a sworn deposition in the defamation lawsuit brought by ousted Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
Bass, 71, has declined to answer questions under oath about statements she made during a May mayoral debate, according to Crowley’s attorney Mia Munro. The legal standoff centers on claims Bass made about Crowley’s handling of the deadly January Palisades Fire, which destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people.
Munro said in a sworn statement that she was “advised that Bass would not agree to any discovery.” The attorney had sought “a limited deposition of Defendant Karen Bass, addressing the issue of Bass’ state of mind” during the debate, according to recent court filings.
Crowley, who was dismissed as LAFD Chief on February 21, filed her defamation lawsuit in June. The suit alleges Bass spread false claims about Crowley’s decisions during the fire, including a statement that Crowley sent 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty.
During the televised May debate, where she appeared alongside candidates Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt, Bass was asked about cutting the LAFD’s operational budget and the disrepair of engines when the Palisades Fire broke out.
“The primary problem there was that the chief sent home a thousand firefighters,” Bass answered.
“There were also fire trucks that were out of use because she had sent the firefighters home,” and “there was supposed to have been deployment and pre-deployment in the area. That did not happen,” Bass continued.
Crowley’s complaint states: “Each statement is false, and Bass knew it. The LAFD’s official documents, to which Bass had access as Mayor, show that her statements were false.”
Bass has also refused to respond to written discovery requests asking her to admit or deny that the debate statements were factual, according to Munro’s statement. Bass’ attorney, Ian Van Dusen, filed an anti-SLAPP motion rather than having her answer.
“Bass has chosen not to sign a declaration attesting that the statements she made about (Crowley) at the Mayoral Debate were true, or that Bass believed that the statements were true,” Munro said in her statement.
Another issue Crowley’s team wants resolved is who is funding Bass’ legal defense. “Is the City of Los Angeles? The lawsuit is based on Karen Bass, the candidate, not the official,” a person close to the case said.
“Bass could not be sued individually if acting in the capacity of Mayor. She’s trying to use official immunity, but she made the comments on a campaign debate stage. Our tax dollars shouldn’t be paying for this,” they continued.
The public feud between Bass and Crowley began after Crowley criticized the mayor for being in Ghana when the January 2025 fire erupted. Bass allegedly then questioned Crowley’s decision-making, and Crowley was handed a dismissal note on February 21 stating she had “exercised management incompatible with what is required of leaders of City departments.”
Crowley’s lawsuit also alleges Bass falsely claimed Crowley refused to conduct an after-action fire report, refused to admit the budget was cut, blamed Crowley for not pre-deploying more firefighters, and blamed her for not personally calling Bass about dangerous weather conditions.
A judge is expected to rule on Crowley’s discovery motion on November 2, the day before the election. “It’s entirely political, her refusal is very much rooted in her personal interest,” the person close to the case said.
Bass’ office did not respond to requests for comment.