Alex Villanueva

LAist's November 3, 2026 general-election voter guide to the Los Angeles County Sheriff runoff between incumbent Robert Luna and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva. It explains the office's duties, lists issues for the next term (jail conditions, recruitment, use of force, deputy gangs, oversight), and profiles both candidates with endorsements and links. For Villanueva it summarizes his 2018-2022 tenure, his stated reasons for running, controversies reported during his term, and a post-tenure County Equity Oversight Panel finding he denied. The "In his own words" sections did not render in the stored text.

• Villanueva says he wants to return to fix a department he alleges "has just fallen apart" since his defeat; Luna says his policies helped drive violent crime down and cut homicides 25% in deputy-patrolled areas.
• Villanueva was sheriff 2018-2022 and a deputy for more than 30 years, rising to lieutenant, per the guide.
• LAist describes his tenure as tumultuous, including clashes with the Board of Supervisors and investigations of critics, including a Los Angeles Times reporter.
• After leaving office he was placed on a "do not rehire" list following County Equity Oversight Panel findings on discrimination and harassment policies; Villanueva denied the allegation.
• Next-term issues listed: DOJ investigation into Men's Central Jail (notified Sept. 9), the AG's September 2025 jail lawsuit, recruitment, use of force, deputy gangs, and oversight subpoenas.

LAist's voter guide for the June 2, 2026 Los Angeles County Sheriff primary (published May 7, updated October 19, 2026) explains the office, lists issues facing the next sheriff (jail conditions, recruitment, use of force, deputy gangs, oversight), and profiles eight candidates. For Alex Villanueva it notes his 2018-2022 term, his 30-plus years as a deputy, his description of his tenure, criticism of his tumultuous term, his placement on a 'do not rehire' list, which he denies, and his endorsements.

• LAist says Villanueva was sheriff 2018-2022 and a deputy for more than 30 years, rising to lieutenant.
• Villanueva says he led the department to work 'hand in hand' with the community and is running to restore the department's luster.
• LAist describes his term as tumultuous, including clashes with the Board of Supervisors and investigations into critics, including an LA Times reporter.
• After he left office he was placed on a 'do not rehire' list following County Equity Oversight Panel findings; Villanueva denied the allegation.
• Endorsements listed: L.A. County Republican Party, L.A. County Taxpayers Association, Los Angeles School Police Officers Association.
• The guide frames the next term's agenda: AG lawsuit over jail conditions, recruitment, use of force, deputy gangs, and response to oversight subpoenas.

LAist reports on a 70-page special counsel report for the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission (March 2023) that calls deputy gangs a 'cancer' on the Sheriff's Department and urges Sheriff Robert Luna to adopt a clear prohibition. Regarding Alex Villanueva, the article says he downplayed the issue and dismissed the commission's investigation as a 'kangaroo court' designed to hurt his reelection; the report itself is about the department, not primarily about him.

• The special counsel's report, based on hearings and interviews with 75 people, found at least a half dozen deputy gangs or cliques currently in the department.
• Commissioner Lael Rubin contrasted Luna as 'a willing partner' with Villanueva, who LAist says downplayed the issue.
• LAist reports Villanueva had dismissed the investigation as a 'kangaroo court' designed to harm his reelection chances.
• The report names the deputies' union ALADS as an obstacle; ALADS disputed the characterization and cited a legal analysis that a ban would be unconstitutional.
• Recommendations include an explicit prohibition, reporting gang-member witnesses to the DA, supervisory support and station rotation.

An opinion piece by a WEHOonline (WEHOville) writer, not by Alex Villanueva, explaining why the writer and the outlet endorsed and voted for Villanueva for sheriff in 2022. The writer describes getting an in-person interview with Villanueva but only written answers from Robert Luna's campaign, and credits Villanueva with a sheriff command post in West Hollywood during unrest. Reader comments below the piece are largely critical of Villanueva.

• The author, an outlet writer rather than the candidate, says WEHOville endorsed Villanueva even though he finished third in West Hollywood in the primary behind Eric Strong and Robert Luna.
• The author says Villanueva granted an in-person interview while Luna's campaign answered questions in writing.
• The author credits Villanueva with setting up a county command post in West Hollywood during riots.
• The author argues the department faced personnel losses, budget cuts and a hiring freeze imposed by the Board of Supervisors.
• Reader comments attached to the page mostly criticize Villanueva, citing investigations, deputy gangs and his COVID stance; the author replies that meeting Luna might have changed his view.

A WitnessLA article by Celeste Fremon (December 2020) on a 17-page Office of Inspector General report, requested by the Civilian Oversight Commission, documenting what the OIG calls 'unlawful conduct' by the Sheriff's Department under Alex Villanueva. It highlights three court rulings against the department, failures to release names of deputies in shootings, and threats against county officials. The author's framing is critical of Villanueva; the long reader comment section is split and partly abusive.

• Inspector General Max Huntsman's report documents what it calls examples of unlawful conduct and efforts to remove reforms and oversight mechanisms.
• Per the report, Villanueva holds that his power as elected sheriff comes from the state Constitution and cannot be limited by charter, statute or ordinance; the IG says the law does not support this.
• Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled on Sept. 28, 2020 that Villanueva's attempt to reinstate former deputy Caren Carl Mandoyan was unlawful.
• A court vacated Villanueva's order barring the coroner from releasing an autopsy report on a deputy shooting.
• Judge Holly Fujie ordered Villanueva to a January 21, 2021 hearing on why he should not be held in contempt for defying a commission subpoena.
• The article says Villanueva repeatedly and falsely claimed then-CEO Sachi Hamai refused to pay COVID-afflicted deputies, after which she received threats.

Patch candidate Q&A in which Alex Villanueva answers, in his own words, questions about his background, top public-safety challenges, use of force, mental-health and homelessness calls, jail conditions, deputy gangs, and why he is the better choice, ahead of the June 2, 2026 primary.

• Villanueva names three top challenges: a staffing crisis with "a staggering 3,000 sworn vacancies," rising fear of lawlessness furthered by homeless encampments, and public corruption.
• On use of force he says every incident should be documented and investigated objectively, with excessive-force claims assessed by the Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and sent to the DA's Justice System Integrity Division.
• He praises the Homeless Outreach Services Team and Mental Observation Teams ("MET teams") and calls for 24/7 countywide coverage of the latter.
• On jails he proposes raising staffing to meet consent decrees and Title 15, tearing down and replacing Men's Central Jail, and rethinking Correctional Health Services.
• He calls the deputy gang narrative "a calculated political hoax" and says tattoos do not make a person a gang member.
• He cites his record: fighting attempts to defund the department, opposing the vaccine mandate, body-worn cameras, a transparency portal, turning a deficit into a surplus, hiring over a thousand deputies in his first year, and full staffing by April 2020.

A 2022 press release from the Campaign to Re-Elect Sheriff Villanueva announcing a campaign video, 'Bring Back the California Dream,' focused on homelessness, opioid addiction and crime. It quotes Villanueva criticizing the 'political establishment' and the homeless services industry, outlines his homelessness plan, and lists new endorsements.

• The campaign video focuses on homelessness, opioid addiction and crime.
• Villanueva's stated homelessness plan: safe RV parking and campgrounds with wraparound services, calling in FEMA, expanding the Homeless Services Outreach Team (HOST), dismantling the 'homeless industrial complex,' funding drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment, and regulating public space.
• Villanueva criticized Measure HHH housing costs of up to $800,000 per unit and county contracts with service providers.
• New endorsements included retired District Attorney Steve Cooley and several local officials.

An op-ed written by then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva, published in Los Cerritos Community News at the start of 2020, reviewing his first year (2019) in office and rebutting what he calls the Los Angeles Times editorial board's "false narrative" about the department. He lists crime, jail-violence, hiring, diversity, discipline and immigration figures and defends his rehiring of deputies including one he names as Karen Mandoyan.

• Villanueva says he campaigned on "reforming, rebuilding, and restoring" the department and has "delivered on that promise."
• He reports violent crime down 7% in LASD areas, homicides and burglaries each down 15%, and drops in inmate-on-inmate assaults (33%), inmate-on-staff assaults (27%) and deputy force on inmates (10%).
• He reports a 65% increase in hiring over the prior four-year average and says recruitment is now local only.
• He says new disciplinary policies "ban the formation of subgroups and cliques" while honoring due process, and that he terminated 30 employees in 2019 and rehired six.
• He defends rehiring Mandoyan as "falsely accused and wrongfully terminated."
• He says removing ICE agents from LASD facilities and related steps cut transfers to ICE custody by 53%, and that he tripled the Homeless Outreach Service Team.

KTLA reports that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association (LASPA) endorsed Alex Villanueva for sheriff in the 2026 election, with 81.5% of the members' vote according to the group. The article notes, citing the Los Angeles Times, that LASPA was founded in the late 1990s by Villanueva and his allies, and quotes Villanueva and the LASPA president.

• LASPA endorsed Villanueva for the 2026 sheriff's race.
• LASPA said 81.5% of its members voted for the endorsement.
• KTLA, citing the LA Times, notes Villanueva and allies founded LASPA in the late 1990s.
• Villanueva pledged to 'rescue, rebuild, and restore the Sheriff's Department.'
• The Luna campaign did not respond to KTLA before publication.

Daily Bruin overview of the eight candidates in the June 2, 2026 LA County Sheriff primary. Alex Villanueva did not respond to interview requests; the article describes his record and pledges as stated on his campaign website and in a campaign video, and covers incumbent Robert Luna and six other candidates in more detail.

• Villanueva did not respond to interview requests, per the Daily Bruin.
• His campaign website says that as sheriff (2018-2022) he prioritized transparency, integrity and recruitment, established the Public Corruption Unit, and expanded Mental Health Evaluation Teams and Homeless Outreach Services.
• His website says he challenged vaccine mandates and divested from a COVID-19 testing firm over alleged ties to the Chinese government; the article notes the firm denied the allegations, per the Los Angeles Times.
• In a campaign video, Villanueva said he would hire 2,000 new deputies in two years and stand up for his deputies.
• Luna, in an emailed statement, said it is his job "to be responsive and collaborative with everyone in Los Angeles County"; his website lists a Crime Strategy Unit, Office of Constitutional Policing, jail body cameras, and a deputy-gang ban.

Fox News Digital report that former Sheriff Alex Villanueva left the Democratic Party and registered as a Republican, quoting his remarks at the Unite Inland Empire Conservative Conference and his post on X, plus reactions from Republican officials and critics. Despite its catalog label, this is a short news article, not an interview.

• Villanueva said: "As of today, I'm leaving the party of paid protests, purple hair, and pronouns. And I'm joining the party of faith, family, and freedom — the Republican Party."
• On X he said he was ending "44 years as a registered Dem" and called it "Time to make [California] purple again!"
• California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin and Los Angeles Republican Party chair Roxanne Hoge welcomed him.
• Podcaster Scott Moore and Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo posted critical reactions.

ABC7 reports that former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, after years of resisting subpoenas, testified under oath before the Civilian Oversight Commission about deputy gangs on January 12, 2024. He described discipline after the Banditos investigation but maintained that this did not make the deputies gang members, and said the commission painted a false image of the department.

• Villanueva testified under oath at Loyola Law School before the Civilian Oversight Commission.
• A 2023 commission report found at least half a dozen deputy gangs or cliques active, ABC7 reports.
• Villanueva said an internal affairs investigation led to four terminations and 22 suspensions without pay, plus transfers.
• ABC7 reports Villanueva has insisted deputy gangs do not exist, while acknowledging subgroups that occasionally engage in misconduct.
• The testimony came while he was running for county supervisor against Janice Hahn.

California Insider (Epoch Media Group) news article by Brad Jones on Assembly Bill 1090, which would let county boards of supervisors remove an elected sheriff for cause by a 4-5 vote. It quotes former Sheriff Alex Villanueva at length opposing the bill as "politically driven," along with the bill author's rationale, law-enforcement associations opposed, and advocacy groups in support. Villanueva also denies allegations made about him in a supporting group's comments.

• Villanueva told The Epoch Times: "This is all about power. It has nothing to do with elected sheriffs doing something wrong."
• He said the bill is "a way to purge all the sheriffs from being Republican and to put in place puppets" and "what one-party rule looks like in California."
• He said the supervisors "defunded me; they defamed me" and claimed one of Luna's first acts was dismantling the Public Corruption Unit.
• He mocked enforcing outdoor mask rules as "supreme stupidity."
• Bill author Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer wrote that "No government official should have unchecked power."
• Oakland Privacy alleged Villanueva obstructed an in-custody death investigation and threatened a reporter; Villanueva said "There was no obstruction."

Spectrum News 1 "Inside the Issues" segment in which host Alex Cohen interviews former Sheriff Alex Villanueva at his Whittier gym about a month after he left office. Villanueva describes what he says he changed in the department, says the local Democratic Party moved left while he did not change, criticizes Mayor Karen Bass's homelessness approach, and says he has not decided on his next role.

• Villanueva said: "The department that I left behind in 2022 was not the department of 2018."
• He said deputies regained control of the jails and "The inmates feel safer in the jail than before."
• He said: "We were building relationships, not arresting people as a priority."
• He said the "political establishment" acted "to delegitimize my effort and discredit everything we were doing."
• On the Democratic Party: "I haven't changed a bit. I'm exactly where I was in 2018," and the local party "has gone so far to the left that it doesn't recognize moderates."
• He said Bass's homelessness plan "is destined to fail" and that without investment in mental health, substance abuse and shelter capacity "we're wasting everybody's time."

ABC7 report on an October 2022 news conference at which then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva argued his department was being "defunded" and understaffed, with ABC7's analysis of his figures. ABC7 reports that federal statistics put the department's sworn-officer ratio above the national average, contrary to his claim.

• Villanueva said: "We're down to 8.3% of the county's budget. That is very alarming."
• He compared net county cost shares: Orange County 25%, Riverside 38%, San Bernardino 22%, Ventura 32%, and L.A. County 16%.
• He said the department operates at "0.9 cops per 1,000 residents" versus a 2.5 national average, calling it "a skeleton operation."
• ABC7 reports DOJ data show a 2.3 average for jurisdictions over a million people and that LASD's roughly 10,000 sworn officers for about 3 million residents is more than three per thousand.
• ABC7 says Villanueva "incorrectly" said the national average excluded non-patrol officers.

KTLA report on the first 2022 debate between then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Robert Luna. It reports exchanges over the Attorney General taking over the department's investigation of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, each man's handling of unrest after George Floyd's death, and Villanueva's allegation that Luna was part of a racist police department in Long Beach.

• Luna said the Attorney General took over the Kuehl investigation because "the sheriff had no business investigating this" and "You can't investigate your political opponents."
• Villanueva said Luna would not touch public corruption "with a 10-foot pole because his job as a puppet is to look the other way."
• Villanueva asked where Luna was "When Long Beach was burning down" and said Luna acquiesced to the city's political establishment; Luna said more mutual aid from the sheriff would have helped Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Long Beach.
• Villanueva alleged Luna was part of a racist police department and that complainants faced retaliation; Luna disputed that account, saying he referred the matter to an administrative investigation.
• Both named "The Big Bang Theory" as their favorite TV show.

City News Service report (via ABC7) on the September 21, 2022 televised debate at the Skirball Cultural Center between then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva and challenger Robert Luna. It reports Villanueva calling Luna a "puppet" of the Board of Supervisors, defending a deputy search of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's home as part of a corruption investigation, defending his actions on alleged deputy gangs, and criticizing District Attorney George Gascon. It reports Luna criticizing Villanueva for investigating political opponents, his handling of deputy gangs, and defying oversight subpoenas. The article also gives background on criticism of Villanueva's tenure.

• Villanueva called Luna a "puppet" for the Board of Supervisors and said Luna would not touch corruption "with a 10-foot pole."
• Villanueva defended the search of Supervisor Kuehl's home, saying his office alerted the FBI and state Attorney General and that "the authority of the sheriff is to investigate crime, period."
• On deputy gangs, Villanueva said he had taken "all the action we could legally" and challenged Luna to "name a single deputy gang member."
• Villanueva called DA Gascon a "second public defender" and said he would not "play pretend" about working together.
• Luna said Villanueva was wrong to "investigate your political opponents or enemies" and that the public does not trust the department.

LAist recap (republished by Boyle Heights Beat / The LA Local) of the September 21, 2022 televised debate between then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Robert Luna, organized by issue: homelessness, deputy gangs, a question about Villanueva's comments on Black people, lawsuit costs, and relations with DA George Gascón, plus extensive background on both candidates.

• Villanueva said Luna would be a "puppet" and framed the race as "about the independence of the Sheriff's Department, and checks and balances against the unlimited power of the Board of Supervisors."
• Asked for one word on the department, Villanueva said "persevering"; Luna said "disarray."
• On homelessness Villanueva said law enforcement's job is to "regulate public space"; Luna said the status quo is "absolutely not working."
• On deputy gangs Villanueva said his policy became a model for state legislation but called deputy gangs "a political buzzword... just like unicorns" and challenged anyone to "name a single deputy gang member."
• Asked about comments to the L.A. Times on Black people and criminality, Villanueva did not answer and instead accused Luna regarding racist literature at the Long Beach police department in the 1990s; Luna denied it.
• Villanueva said he has "no confidence" in Gascón, calling him "a second public defender"; Luna said "my obligation is to work with him."

CBS Los Angeles report on the September 2022 televised debate (hosted by Fox 11, the Los Angeles Times, Univision and KPCC) between then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Robert Luna. It covers Villanueva's charge that Luna would be a "puppet" of the Board of Supervisors, his objection to a county hiring freeze, and both men's positions on the Sheila Kuehl corruption investigation.

• Villanueva said: "When the Board of Supervisors recruits eight candidates to run against me they did it for one reason only... They want a puppet."
• Villanueva defended objecting to a hiring freeze: "Of course, I'm going to object to that."
• On the Kuehl case, Villanueva said the investigation began in September 2019 and that consulting the Attorney General is his practice in complicated or politically sensitive cases.
• Luna said working with people "doesn't mean you're a puppet" and that he would "stop this us versus them culture."
• Luna said the sheriff "had no business investigating this from the very beginning."

ABC7 report on a virtual (Zoom) debate between then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Robert Luna held during a Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council meeting in August 2022. The piece consists mainly of exchanged personal criticisms, centering on the Board of Supervisors and homelessness cleanups.

• Villanueva said Luna "would've rather eaten his own liver then go into Venice" and accused him of attending "cocktail parties in ivory towers" with politicians and supervisors.
• Villanueva said the department relies on the Board of Supervisors "for funding and that's about it," citing his "101 town halls" as direct contact with the community.
• Luna criticized Villanueva for demeaning the supervisors, who control the department's budget.
• Luna said appearing at a cleanup "with a cowboy hat" does not mean Villanueva was fully engaged in fixing it.

ABC7 reports Sheriff Alex Villanueva's response in September 2021 to a RAND Corporation study, commissioned by the county in 2019, which found that deputy gangs and cliques still exist in the Sheriff's Department. Villanueva criticized the researchers, said most of the report's recommendations were already being implemented, argued that banning groups outright is unconstitutional, and said he would not attend a Civilian Oversight Commission hearing he had been subpoenaed to.

• A county-commissioned RAND report found deputy gangs still exist and recommended leadership do more to discourage membership.
• Villanueva said of RAND's 37 recommendations, 30 were already being implemented and seven were under consideration.
• Villanueva argued that outlawing groups outright is not constitutionally permissible and that he can intervene when a subgroup engages in misconduct.
• Villanueva framed the report as an attempt by the Board of Supervisors to smear him.
• Villanueva said he would not appear before the Civilian Oversight Commission despite a subpoena, calling it a 'kangaroo court.'

LAist reports that in July 2021 the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission voted to subpoena Sheriff Alex Villanueva to defend his department's criminal investigations of critics, including Inspector General Max Huntsman and commissioner Patti Giggans. Commissioners said the investigations chill oversight; Villanueva called the allegations 'false accusations,' said he had recused himself, and has said he is free to investigate anyone he believes committed a crime.

• The commission voted to subpoena Villanueva over alleged abuse of power.
• His department opened criminal investigations into the inspector general and a commission member, and investigated a former constitutional policing advisor, Diana Teran; none had produced charges, LAist reports.
• Villanueva publicly accused former county CEO Sachi Hamai of an illegal conflict of interest; the county later settled her harassment claims for $1.5 million plus private security.
• Villanueva said he recused himself and put Undersheriff Tim Murakami in charge of the investigations.
• The commission had voted unanimously the previous fall to call on him to resign.

ABC7 reports that Alex Villanueva and his 2018 campaign treasurer agreed to a $7,500 Fair Political Practices Commission fine for omitting donor-employer information, in a case where a restaurant manager, Manuel Gomez, used straw donors to give his 2018 campaign $21,000. The FPPC filing states there is no evidence the campaign knew of the laundering; Villanueva called the reporting omission a clerical error.

• Villanueva and treasurer Cine Ivery agreed to pay $7,500 for omitting required information on campaign statements.
• Donor Manuel Gomez agreed to a $50,000 fine and to admit 10 counts of campaign money laundering.
• Gomez gave the $1,500 maximum and then reimbursed 14 straw donors at $1,500 each, totaling $21,000.
• The FPPC filing says there is no evidence the Villanueva campaign knew about the scheme.
• The settlement was pending an FPPC vote on Jan. 18, 2024.

Los Angeles Magazine reports that incumbent Sheriff Robert Luna and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva advanced from the June 2, 2026 primary to a November runoff, with Luna at 44.18% and Villanueva at 21.71% per the county registrar. It quotes Villanueva's Instagram post thanking supporters and recaps his 2018 win and 2022 loss.

• Per registrar results cited, Luna received 44.18% and Villanueva 21.71% in the June 2, 2026 primary.
• Villanueva was sheriff from 2018 to 2022 after defeating incumbent Jim McDonnell, which the magazine says made him the first to unseat an incumbent in 100 years.
• The magazine says Luna won 61% of the vote against Villanueva in 2022.
• Villanueva posted on Instagram that voters are 'tired of waiting for someone to take their safety seriously.'
• Third-place finisher Eric Strong, with just under 15%, conceded on June 3.

NBC Los Angeles reports that Sheriff Robert Luna and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva will meet in the November 2026 runoff, their second general-election matchup. As of June 10, 2026, Luna had 44.18% (856,069 votes) and Villanueva 21.71% (420,683 votes), per the county registrar. It quotes Villanueva's emailed statement on advancing.

• Primary tally as of June 10, 2026: Luna 44.18% (856,069), Villanueva 21.71% (420,683).
• NBC says Luna unseated Villanueva in 2022 with about 61% of the vote.
• In 2018 Villanueva defeated Sheriff Jim McDonnell, the first to oust an incumbent in the department in more than a century, NBC reports.
• Villanueva said voters are 'tired of waiting for someone to take their safety seriously.'
• Eric Strong finished third with 14.95%.

FOX 11 reports Alex Villanueva's July 2025 announcement, in a video posted on X, that he will run for sheriff again in 2026 to unseat Robert Luna. It quotes his announcement on crime and department 'dysfunction' and recaps his tenure: his 2018 win, 2022 loss, 2024 supervisor primary loss, clashes with the Board of Supervisors and oversight commission, criticism of his handling of deputy gangs and vaccine mandates, and a 2024 lawsuit over a 'do not rehire' list.

• Villanueva announced his 2026 candidacy in a video on X.
• He said he would 'rescue this department from polarizing dysfunction, rebuild it back to full strength' and take politics out of public safety.
• FOX 11 reports Luna defeated him 61.26% to 38.74% in 2022.
• He lost the March 5, 2024 supervisorial primary to incumbent Janice Hahn.
• In June 2024 he sued the county over placement on a 'do not rehire' list after an oversight panel investigation into harassment and retaliation complaints.

A City News Service report in The Downey Patriot on the March 2024 Fourth District supervisorial primary: incumbent Janice Hahn led with 54.7% in unofficial results, enough to avoid a runoff, with former Sheriff Alex Villanueva second at 30.6%. It recaps Villanueva's sheriff tenure and quotes his campaign criticism of the Board of Supervisors.

• Unofficial results: Hahn 54.7%, Villanueva 30.6%, John Cruikshank 14.7%.
• The article says Villanueva often clashed with the Board of Supervisors as sheriff and was accused of mishandling deputy gang investigations and refusing to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates, criticisms he rebuffed.
• Villanueva said the board had 'failed absolutely miserably' on the county's health, safety and welfare.
• He said he wanted to rebuild the sheriff's department 'after it was gutted by the defunding movement' and advocated repealing Proposition 47.

CBS Los Angeles reports that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Public Integrity Division opened an investigation into then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva over a video in which he asked deputies to contribute '$20 to $1,500' to his 2022 campaign.

• A DA spokesperson said a formal Public Integrity Division investigation was initiated.
• The video shows Villanueva in civilian clothes asking deputies for contributions.
• Villanueva said in the video that the deputies' union ALADS endorsed him but did not fund a significant independent expenditure, unlike in 2018.

An AP report that a federal judge refused Los Angeles County's bid to dismiss Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit over deputies taking and sharing photos of the 2020 helicopter crash scene. Its only direct reference to Alex Villanueva is that, as sheriff, he quickly ordered deputies to delete the images.

• U.S. District Judge John F. Walter rejected the county's summary judgment motion, citing genuine issues of material fact.
• The suit alleges emotional distress after deputies took and shared crash-scene photos.
• Sheriff Villanueva ordered deputies to delete the images, according to the AP.
• County attorney Skip Miller said the county disagreed with the ruling.