Rick Caruso — who lost the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral race and recently said he would not run — signaled he is reconsidering after a Los Angeles Times article alleged Mayor Karen Bass intervened to soften the official Palisades Fire report. Caruso called the reporting an "absolute outrage" and accused Bass of eroding public trust. Bass's office denies the allegations, saying she only asked the LAFD to verify factual details and calling the story "muckraking journalism." The dispute has renewed scrutiny of the city's fire response and could have political consequences.
Rick Caruso Says He’s Reconsidering Run For LA Mayor After Times Alleges Bass Watered Down Palisades Fire Report
Rick Caruso at The Armani Beauty Luminous Lounge at The Grove on Jan. 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.(Getty Images)
Businessman and 2022 mayoral candidate Rick Caruso said this week he is reconsidering a bid for Los Angeles mayor after a Los Angeles Times article alleged that Mayor Karen Bass intervened to soften an official report on the Palisades Fire.
What Caruso Said
Caruso — who last month said he would not pursue elected office — criticized Mayor Bass in a post on X following the Times report. He called the article "an absolute outrage" and accused Bass of covering up findings tied to "the most significant disaster in Los Angeles history."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass prior to speaking to media in support of journalist Don Lemon outside federal court on Jan. 30, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif.
"When it comes to life safety matters, this is no longer a matter of making poor judgement, apologizing and moving forward," Caruso wrote. "This is a complete loss of public trust and an intentional act of covering up the actions that led to people dying."
The Los Angeles Times Reporting
The Times reported that sources close to the mayor told reporters Bass pressed to water down parts of the Palisades Fire report. According to the story, two people with ties to the mayor provided information; the newspaper noted one source said they had spoken with both individuals, while another said they had spoken with one. The paper also reported that one person told a source, "the mayor didn’t tell the truth when she said she had nothing to do with changing the report."
Mayor's Office Response
Mayor Bass's office strongly rejected the Times' account in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying Bass "reviewed an early draft of the report and only asked the LAFD to make sure it was accurate on issues like weather and budget. She and her staff made no changes to the drafts."
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire while it burns homes on Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.
"There is absolutely no reason why she would request those details be altered or erased when she herself has been critical of the response to the fire — full stop," the statement said. "This is muckraking journalism at its lowest form. It is dangerous and irresponsible for Los Angeles Times reporters to rely on third hand unsourced information to make unsubstantiated character attacks to advance a narrative that is false."
Political Fallout
Caruso told KTTV he was "certainly thinking about" re-entering the race and said the Times reporting prompted his reconsideration. "Because incompetence is one thing. But it's very different to mix incompetence, and now you've got somebody who is actively lying to the people that she has sworn to serve," he told the station.
The report and the mayor's denials have intensified scrutiny of the city's handling of the Palisades Fire and could reshape the political landscape in Los Angeles if Caruso decides to campaign. Both the allegations and the response from the mayor's office suggest the issue will remain a focal point of local debate as investigators, reporters and political actors weigh next steps.
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