1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:00,880 Speaker 1: Can't. 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 2: I am six forty. 3 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 3: You're listening to the John Cobelt podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 3: We are on from one to four every day after 5 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 3: four o'clock, John Cobelt's show on demand on the iHeart app, 6 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 3: and that's where you could listen to whatever you missed. 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 3: Today's big story has been well nationally internationally. Nicholas Maduro, 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 3: the alleged president of Venezuela, which he wasn't legally. He 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 3: and his wife they were removed, extricated, confiscated from Venezuela 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 3: by a large chunk of the US military, flown to 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 3: New York City and they appeared before a judge today 12 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 3: where he insisted he was innocent. And a lot of 13 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 3: Democrats are screaming and crying, even though they had supported 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: this kind of action in the past, Now that Trump 15 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 3: did it, they're claiming this violated the Constitution, it violated 16 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 3: US law later the international law, and violated treaties. It 17 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 3: is terrible. He should be impeached. Well, was anything wrong 18 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 3: done here? And even if it was, does it matter? 19 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 3: I'm going to talk to Roylos. He's good at analyzing 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 3: these sorts of situations. 21 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: Ryle, how are you I'm great, John, Happy twenty twenty 22 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: six to you. And yeah, it's people are asking, well, gee, 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: a Supreme Court you know, said it's okay to kidnap 24 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: a leader. Actually, yeah, they have. The Supreme Court has 25 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: said that you may extract somebody from overseas even if 26 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: you you know, don't have a warrant, you can kidnap them. 27 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: Now they can make some argue it and try to 28 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 1: get out from under it in trial, but the bottom 29 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: line is the trial will go forward. You had a 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: ninety two year old judge named Alvin Hellerstein presiding over 31 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: this case. He acts like he's going to keep the 32 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: case because when they were done with the raiment today, 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: you know, the charges not guilty. Is fine, have a 34 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: nice day, come back see us on March seven, and 35 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: that's fine. But this thing could drag on for years, 36 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: so who knows if he's actually going to be handling 37 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: the case start to finish. Bottom line, though, is the 38 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: legality of the arrest doesn't seem to be in much question. 39 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: You could argue, John that the United Nations says you 40 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: can't do this kind of thing. Well, so what you know, 41 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: we have a veto in the security Council of the 42 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: UN so they can't do anything to us anyway. So 43 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: it looks very much like this is going to go forward, 44 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: and the DOJ, you know, we'll argue, you know, he's 45 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: a narco terrorist and he should go away forever. 46 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 3: Well, he's in the United States position and position what 47 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 3: I've read sixty other countries is he's not even the 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 3: president because he was voted out of office in the 49 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 3: last election in twenty twenty four. He just didn't leave, 50 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 3: and he's got the military on his side so he 51 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 3: didn't have to leave. But he's still not officially the president. 52 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: That's right. And he of course he says he is, 53 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: a lot of his supporters say he is, but you're right, 54 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: he isn't. But the good thing for the DOJ is, 55 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: let's assume for the moment that he really is the 56 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: legally elected president of Venezuela. Their answer is going to 57 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: be it don't matter, because we're not arresting him and 58 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: putting him on trial for doing something in the course 59 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: and scope of his job as president of Venezuela. We're 60 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: arresting him, arresting him for being you know, breaking bad. 61 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: You know, he's a drug king pin, he cocaine, importation, 62 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: machine guns, killing people. So none of these arguments really 63 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: is going to be of any help. What the real 64 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: problem that the DOJ may have, John, is that in 65 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: order to put somebody on trial, you have to be 66 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: really fair and hand over all the evidence about what 67 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: you had on him. And sometimes that involves sources and 68 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: methods and secret stuff. And you know, you can have 69 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: a judge that maybe will help keep stuff under wraps. 70 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: But in the past, some of these cases we've allD 71 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: foreign nationals, the cases of haven't gone as well for 72 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: the DOJ as they hoped because and push comes to shove, 73 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: the judge says, hey, to be fair, you've got to 74 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: tell us everything about what you knew about him and 75 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: any smidgeon of evidence that might be in their favor. 76 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: And sometimes we just don't want to give up, you know, 77 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: our spies and our ponage methods, and. 78 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 3: There's no way to seal that kind of information or 79 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 3: would get leaked out anyway, and they want to they 80 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 3: don't want to take that risk. 81 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: Can Yeah, you can try to seal it, and also 82 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: you can try to convince the judge to prove just 83 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: summaries and some redacted stuff. Now this judge, you know, 84 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: he seemed like a pretty solid guy today. He you know, 85 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: Maduro started talking about, hey, you know, there's a kidnapping 86 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: and I'm still the president. And the judge said, hey, 87 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: you know, cool your jets. Pal. You didn't say that, 88 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: but he said, you'll get your chance to make your arguments. 89 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: Like today, it's just a matter of hey, do you 90 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: played guilty or not. Now, this judge, Hellerstan, you ain't 91 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: a big friend of Donald Trump. He actually upheld the 92 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: power of New York City's da Alvin Bragg to try 93 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: Donald Trump on the hush money Stormy Daniel's stuff. But 94 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: a lot of people thought that was really flaky. But 95 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: here he seems to be pretty solid about making sure 96 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: that you know, he knows the whole world is watching 97 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: him again, and you know he's going to try to 98 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: make sure that this guy, you know, is safe. Although interestingly, 99 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: I've heard seen reported John that they're not actually isolating him, 100 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: they're not putting him like in solitary confinement. I don't 101 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,239 Speaker 1: know that. I doubt that he's in the exercise yard, 102 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, that would not look good for 103 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: America if somebody sticks a shiv in him, right. 104 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 3: I was going to say, are they hoping that the 105 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 3: inmates will administer their justice and relieve the us of 106 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 3: the burden. 107 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is not as Jeffrey Epstein's situation. Hopefully we're 108 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: not going to have to hear a report. Oh you know, 109 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: Maduro killed himself. You know, there's nothing to hear see here. 110 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 3: And the cameras didn't work, and the and the guards 111 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 3: were asleep, that whole routine, and and and the possible 112 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 3: sentencing if he was convicted of all these crimes. 113 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 2: This this is life. 114 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, life several times over. I mean, you know, 115 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: narco terrorism and a bunch of people murdered and so on. 116 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: The interesting twist there is it does not involve the 117 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: death penalty. But if you changed it up, if you 118 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: added so some fentanyl charges, for example, where people actually 119 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: died because of his transmission of these drugs, that could 120 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,239 Speaker 1: kick it up to a federal death penalty. It's rarely used. 121 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: You know, that might give a little more leverage. I think, 122 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: you know, this fancy criminal defense Larry Arry Pollock was 123 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: going on board, so he's going to pull out all 124 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: this stuff. He's the guy that helped Julian assage. You 125 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: stole like hundreds of thousands of pages of confidential US stuff, 126 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: and so you know he's going to say this is immunity. 127 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: He was the president. You know, there's no jurisdiction here. 128 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: You're breaking the law, and his ACE card might be 129 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: you know, you've got to hand over all sorts of 130 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: secret stuff, raw intelligence files, you know, from the CIA 131 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: or the FBI, or it just isn't fair to us. 132 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,559 Speaker 1: So that's that's probably going to be his best hope 133 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 1: to get some sort of plea deal going. Otherwise, it's 134 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: going to be hard to imagine this guy seeing the 135 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: light of day again. 136 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 3: And we've done this before, Manuel Noriega of Panama, we will, yeah. 137 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: And that's a great that's the press of exactly we 138 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: extracted him. He was the leader of the company at Boom, 139 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: put him on trial, and you know he was in 140 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: prison the rest of his life. So yeah, it's going 141 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: to be really hard to say that this immunity or 142 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: this thing was done illegally. I think most people's focus 143 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: is going to shift to, well, Venezuela going to descend 144 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: into chaos and civil wars? Is it going to be 145 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: our fault? You know, Boots on the ground. That's a 146 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: much bigger threat of the Trump administration than all these 147 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: technical legal arguments against Maduro. 148 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 3: All right, very good, Royal Oaks, ABC News, thank you 149 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 3: for coming on. 150 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: You bet thanks. 151 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 3: All right, he's our legal analyst. And when we come back. 152 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 3: Over the Christmas break, the La Times issued a series 153 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 3: of articles about the Palisades fire, and we are going 154 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 3: to commemorate the Palisades fire here on KFI. There's a 155 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: special that Michael Monks is hosting at seven o'clock on 156 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 3: Wednesday night and it's called La Wildfires One year Later. 157 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 3: So that's a on Wednesday evening seven o'clock hosted by 158 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 3: Michael Monks. We had Michael on earlier in the show. Also, 159 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 3: when we come back, I'm going to tell you about 160 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: a special event they're having in the Palisades and it's 161 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 3: called they Let It Burn Uh and it's run by 162 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 3: Spencer Pratt and Jerry Patawa, and they have a large 163 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 3: crowd that's going to be coming and listening to speakers 164 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 3: and people are going to air their frustrations and anger 165 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 3: with all levels of government over the way this fire 166 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 3: was allowed to happen. It was entirely preventable, bad. It 167 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 3: was just a failure of government in the extreme at 168 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 3: all levels, in many different ways, prevention, execution, the follow 169 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 3: up investigations. They let us burn. They let us burn 170 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 3: is the name of it. I'm going to tell you 171 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 3: because we're going to cover it here on our show. 172 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 3: And it's ten thirty in the morning on Wednesday, and 173 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 3: we're going to record a lot of interviews with people 174 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 3: who are affected by the fire. 175 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: That's all explain. 176 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 4: Next you're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI 177 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 4: AM six forty. 178 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 3: You probably heard that Tim Waltz, the governor of Minnesota, 179 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 3: has dropped out of the reelection race after being well 180 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 3: after being exposed for running a massive scam operation within 181 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 3: his government allowing the Somalian community to steal nine billion 182 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 3: plus dollars in various welfare fraud operations. And Gavin Newsom, 183 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 3: who is the Tim Waltz of the West, I just 184 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 3: found a post that he put out two hours ago. 185 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 3: Tim Waltz is a man of character, strength and compassion. 186 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 3: He has served Minnesota with heart and dignity. Minnesota and 187 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 3: America is better off thanks to his lifelong public service. 188 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 2: Wishing him all the best in this next chapter. Thank you, 189 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: Tim Waltz. 190 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 3: That is the drippings of Gavin Newsom, who has committed 191 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 3: has allowed ten times or more the fraud that Tim 192 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 3: Waltz oversaw. Waltz knew exactly what he was doing. You 193 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 3: don't have a fraud operation that leads to ninety arrests 194 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 3: and sixty convictions in counting. 195 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 2: You knew what happened. 196 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 3: Many whistleblowers had reported the Shenanigans going on, and Waltz 197 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 3: had those people disciplined and retaliated against. He was protecting 198 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: the Somalians because he wanted their votes. They vote as 199 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 3: a block, eighty to one hundred thousand of them, and 200 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 3: he needed those votes in order to be governor and 201 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 3: keep Democrats in power. 202 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: End a story, That's. 203 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 3: What it was. So they were allowed to steal whatever 204 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 3: they wanted to steal in as many different ways, and 205 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 3: they did and went on for years, and Walts said 206 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 3: didn't care, and he got caught, got caught red handed, 207 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 3: and that's why he's dropping out. He got to resign entirely. 208 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 3: And the Minnesotan's at least created enough of an uproar. 209 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 2: What are the California's going to do that? Honest to God, we. 210 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 3: Know for a fact there's over seventy billion dollars worth 211 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 3: of fraud just covering the homeless, industry, unemployment payouts, and 212 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 3: high speed rail. 213 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 2: So what's up? 214 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 3: Walts is falling on his sword here, but Newsom no nothing, really, 215 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 3: no wonder he's empathizing with Waltz's pain because if there 216 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 3: was a this was a just world, Newsom would be 217 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 3: next Newsom, Newsom would be in handcuffs, and not for 218 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 3: his pleasure. 219 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: What do you take a thing about? I thought he 220 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:06,239 Speaker 2: sounded very presidential with that little tribute. 221 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you for your They always you know when 222 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 3: these criminals are caught in cornered, well, you know, we're 223 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 3: public servants. 224 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 2: We have sacrificed so much. 225 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 3: All right, we got just a minute here, but I'll 226 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 3: get into depth in the next segment. La Times trying 227 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 3: a serious of stories over the whole Christmas break. 228 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 2: But I was upset that this was released during the break. 229 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: Well you should have been here, then, Yes, I should 230 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,599 Speaker 2: have been here. You're right, I absolutely should. 231 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 3: Well you know we were a little bit yeah, what 232 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 3: kind of was not? 233 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: Really? Yeah? 234 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 2: Because I wasn't available for you. 235 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 3: Well, I'll give you a teaser here the battalion chief 236 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 3: who wrote the Los Angeles Fire Department after action Report. 237 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 3: How many times did you hear? Oh, you just wait 238 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,959 Speaker 3: till the after action report comes out. You'll say that's 239 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 3: what Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom used as a dodge 240 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 3: to not answer any questions for the last year. Well 241 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 3: there's an after action report. Well, the after action report 242 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 3: was written by a battalion chief, Kenneth Cook, and then uh, 243 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 3: it was rewritten and re rewritten and re re rewritten 244 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 3: and so on and so on. There's like seven different 245 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 3: drafts of this and by time it all the rewritings occurred, 246 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 3: Cook looked at it and said, I'm not endorsing this. 247 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: I want no part of this report because what they 248 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 2: did is they lied. 249 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 3: Karen Bass got a hold of this thing and said, well, 250 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 3: we're not going to admit to this. Are we tell 251 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 3: you about it when we come back, And I noticed 252 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 3: the big yawn right in the middle. 253 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, I'm tying peace. 254 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 4: Uh you you're listening to John Cobels on demand from 255 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 4: KFI AM. 256 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 3: We are on every day from one until four o'clock 257 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 3: and after four o'clock John Cobelt Show on Demand on 258 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 3: the iHeart app moistline is eight seven seven Moist eighty 259 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 3: six for Friday eight seven seven moist eighty six or 260 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: usually talkback feature. All right, I want to get it. 261 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 3: Let's see, I got so much here I wanted to 262 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 3: do and I only got maybe a half of it. 263 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 3: But there's there's always tomorrow. I do want to mention 264 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 3: Wednesday is going to be a special show Wednesday at 265 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 3: ten thirty in the morning. There is a group organized 266 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 3: by Spencer Pratt and Jeremy Padawer and they are putting 267 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 3: on a rally demonstration called they Let Us Burn. Newsom Bass, 268 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 3: the LEDWP, fire officials, California State Parks, and they they 269 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 3: list other agencies they let us Burn. 270 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 2: That is the theme. 271 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 3: It's a demonstration on January seventh at ten thirty that 272 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 3: was approximately the time of the fire a year ago. 273 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 3: And it's at Palisades Village corner of Antioch and Swarthmore, 274 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 3: and there's going to be many speakers, homeowners, business owners, politicians, 275 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 3: and they're going to talk about all the failures, failure 276 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 3: to prepare, failure to execute, to fight the fire, and 277 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 3: then this massive cover up, this criminal cover up that's 278 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 3: going on. This is like Watergate stuff here as far 279 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 3: as I'm concerned, undoubtedly orchestrated by Karen Bass. The La 280 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 3: Times has had three stories in the last two weeks. 281 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 3: I don't think they got a whole lot of attention 282 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 3: because of the holiday, but I'm going to give it 283 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 3: the attention. We're going to do it here, certainly now 284 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 3: and then in the coming days. Let's get to the 285 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 3: gist of it. There was an after action report that 286 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 3: Bass constantly referred to as she was trying to avoid 287 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 3: questions on why the preparation and execution sucked so bad? 288 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 3: Why did thousands of home burn? Why did a dozen 289 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 3: people die? None of this had to happen, And we've 290 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 3: told you about you know, the origin of the fire. 291 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 3: It was the January first fire that was whipped up 292 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 3: by the winds of January seventh. We had a massive 293 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: number of warnings. The fire department simply did not respond 294 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 3: and it got out of hand and went crazy. And 295 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 3: the whole thing could have been the whole thing could 296 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 3: have been avoided. And I don't think there's anybody credible 297 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 3: who can say otherwise. So the La Times. Among the 298 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 3: stories they published, here's a headline. Author of the key 299 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 3: report on the Palisades Fire was upset over changes that 300 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 3: weakened it wen it. The changes created a big lie. 301 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 3: This is the LA Fire Departments After Action Report. The 302 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 3: author of it was the battalion chief Kenneth Cook. He 303 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 3: made he wrote what he thought was a final draft. 304 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:11,959 Speaker 3: It ended up getting revised six times. There were seven 305 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 3: different versions of the report his and all the rewrites 306 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 3: from the Bass administration, and it eventually downplayed the failures 307 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 3: of the city and fire department leaders in preparing for 308 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 3: and fighting the blaze. The battalion chief Kenneth Cook His 309 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 3: complaints reached Mayor Bass's office in mid November, after the 310 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 3: fire department had publicly released the report, and The Times 311 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 3: had an article analyzing the seven drafts. The most significant 312 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 3: changes included the fire department's deployment decisions. You remember they 313 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 3: deployed nobody to the hotspot from the January first fire, 314 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 3: the Lockman fire, nobody and nobody was deployed there the 315 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 3: night before the morning of the wind warnings got increasingly 316 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 3: extreme from the National Weather Service, Bassett decided to go 317 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 3: to Africa. The number two guy in her administration, Brian Williams, 318 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 3: was unpaid leave for calling in a bomb threat. The 319 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 3: lunatic a bomb threat, so he wasn't available as Deputy 320 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 3: mayor to oversee the fire department's response. Kristin Crowley sent 321 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 3: a whole shift of firefighters home rather than stay on 322 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 3: for a second shift. It was a complete and utter 323 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 3: abdication of responsibility, a complete disaster. So here's an example 324 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 3: of how they rewrote the world. Cook had originally written 325 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 3: saying that the decision not to be fully staffed and 326 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 3: pre deploy all available crews ahead of the forecast did 327 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 3: not align with the department's policy. In other words, this 328 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 3: is not our policy not to deploy before fire warnings 329 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 3: wind warnings of this nature. But instead they rewrote the 330 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 3: report to say that the number of engine companies rolled 331 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 3: out ahead of the fire went above and beyond the 332 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 3: standard fire pre deployment matrix. 333 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 2: Above and beyond. It was zero. 334 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 3: At the hot spot in the Palisades where the fire 335 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 3: ignited the same spot as the old fire a week before, 336 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 3: there were zero firefighters, zero fire engines deployed, and the 337 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 3: report said it went above and beyond the standard pre 338 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 3: deployment protocol. You could not possibly imagine a bigger lie. 339 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 3: This was approved by Ronnie Vanueva, the interim chief, and 340 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 3: Karen Bass. That's really all you need to know. There 341 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 3: was nobody there. Obviously, we've seen the video, We've had 342 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 3: the eyewitness reports, We've seen the depositions. Roger Bailey, the 343 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 3: attorney representing many of the homeowners, has shared the depositions, 344 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 3: has shared the text messages, and the La Times got 345 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 3: text messages with firefighters. It was the Lockman fire. It 346 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 3: wasn't entirely put out, still smoldering, there were still hotspots, 347 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 3: and the Alley Fire Department quit the fire, and they'd 348 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 3: been kicked out by the State Parks Department, who didn't 349 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 3: want the milk That's plant to be trampled by the 350 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 3: firefighters instead. 351 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 2: The rewrite of. 352 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 3: Kenneth Cook's report said the number of engine companies went 353 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 3: above and beyond the standard pre deployment matrix. 354 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 2: So when Cook saw that, he wrote to the. 355 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 3: Interim fire Chief, Ronnie Vienaweva, and other fire officials the 356 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 3: subject line Palisades after Action Report non endorsement. He wrote, 357 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 3: having reviewed the revised version submitted by your office, I 358 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 3: must respectfully decline to endorse it in its current forum. 359 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 3: The document has undergone substantial modifications and Kine contains significant 360 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 3: deletions of information that in some instances altered the conclusion 361 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 3: originally presented. In other words, they rewrote the report and 362 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 3: lied after Cook submitted it. Then Away in Basque got 363 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 3: a hold of it, somebody rewrote the report to say 364 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 3: the opposite of the truth, and then Cook really zeros 365 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 3: in on what's going on here? While I fully understand 366 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 3: the need to address potential liability concerns and to modify 367 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 3: certain sections in consultation with the city attorney to mitigate 368 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 3: litigation risks. 369 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 2: In other words, what hide the evidence? 370 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 3: We reporters were told for a year, residents were told 371 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 3: for a year when they were badgering Bass and ving 372 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 3: in a way event everybody else with questions, I wait 373 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 3: till the after action report. They never intended to have 374 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 3: an after action report that was truthful. They never intended 375 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 3: to lie for moment one. And if it wasn't for 376 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 3: these La Times reporters Aileen check Midian and Paul Pringle, 377 00:22:54,400 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 3: we still wouldn't know. They've done one of the best 378 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 3: jobs and journalism I've ever seen, and it's the La Times, 379 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 3: he says. The current version, this is again, Battalion Chief Cook, 380 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:17,239 Speaker 3: the current version appears highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our 381 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 3: established standards. I strongly urge you to reconsider publishing the 382 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 3: report as it stands. He was being polite. This is 383 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,479 Speaker 3: a steaming load of horsecraft, is what he should have wrote. 384 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 3: These are out and out lies, and that's what they 385 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 3: plan to do. All along. The deletions and other changes 386 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 3: began behind closed doors. The Time says it amounted to 387 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 3: an effort to downplay the failures of the city and 388 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 3: the fire department leadership. Another deleted passage said some cruise 389 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 3: waited more than an hour for an assignment the day 390 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 3: of the fire, an hour, so the firefighters were standing 391 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 3: around doing nothing while the palisades was burning, burning, burning. 392 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 3: The fire keeps advancing and starts consuming homes and went 393 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 3: past the point in overturn, and the firefighters were standing 394 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 3: around just like the residents said they were. They didn't 395 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 3: show up. If they showed up, they didn't do anything. 396 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 3: And now Vinaweva and Bass got this rewritten to hide 397 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 3: the truth. A section on failures was renamed primary Challenges. Oh, 398 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 3: they weren't failures, there were challenges. There was an item 399 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 3: in the original report saying that cruise and leaders had 400 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 3: violated national guidelines on how to avoid firefighter deaths and injuries. 401 00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 3: While that was eliminated, other changes in the report, which 402 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 3: the Time says was overseen by then interim fire chief 403 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 3: Ronnie Vianaweva, seemed intended to soften its impact and burnish 404 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,679 Speaker 3: the fire department's image. Two drafts contained notes written in 405 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,959 Speaker 3: the margins, a suggestion to replace the image on the 406 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 3: cover page, which showed palm trees on fire against an 407 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 3: orange sky, replace it with a positive one, such as 408 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 3: firefighters on the front line. The cover ultimately just displayed 409 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 3: the seal of the La Fire Department. The Times obtained 410 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 3: seven drafts of the report. Do you imagine how many 411 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 3: times this thing was emailed back and forth and back 412 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 3: and forth and back and forth, with changes and deletions 413 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 3: and rewrites. Two versions are dated August twenty fifth. There's 414 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 3: a draft from October sixth. No names are attached to 415 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 3: the edits. It's unclear if names were in the original 416 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 3: documents and then removed. 417 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: They're outright liars. 418 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 3: This is a massive scandal, a massive cover up. This 419 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 3: is what Karen bass is gonna run on that she 420 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,719 Speaker 3: made sure the truth about the Palisades fire was going 421 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 3: to be covered up in the after action report that 422 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 3: she had sold for a year. By the way, let's 423 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 3: not forget that Karen Bass erased hundreds of her text messages, 424 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 3: most of which were not recovered. Remember she was in 425 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 3: Africa and she landed here and most of the text 426 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:45,479 Speaker 3: messages she destroyed, all her communications in those first in 427 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 3: those first days. That was part of the cover up too. 428 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 3: She lied when she said she wasn't aware of the fire. 429 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 3: That's simply not possible. She wasn't aware of the fire warnings. 430 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 3: Excuse me, We've researched this seven days worth of fire warnings, 431 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 3: wind warnings. Extreme language was used by the National Weather Service. 432 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 3: We went and found them all over again just the 433 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 3: other day. She continues to lie compulsively, obsessively, and she's 434 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 3: gonna run for reelection. I mean, that is such a crime. 435 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 3: How these people, How you don't end up in prison 436 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,919 Speaker 3: for allowing all this to happen, not preparing, not executing 437 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 3: to fight the fire, and then covering it up and 438 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 3: lying on these reports and all that is cool. 439 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 2: Wow, we have more coming up. 440 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI AM 441 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 4: six forty. 442 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 3: We are on every day one to four, and then 443 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 3: after four o'clock if you go to the podcast, you 444 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 3: can hear everything that you're missed on the show. Today 445 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 3: spent the first hour a lot on Nicholas Maduro and 446 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 3: his wife getting getting indicted facing charges today before a judge. 447 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 3: And in this hour we've been going over the Los 448 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 3: Angeles Times series of reports about the fake after action 449 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 3: Palisades fire report by the LA Fire Department. There was 450 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 3: an original, truthful report by the battalion chief, Kenneth Cook. 451 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 3: It looks as if it was rewritten at least six times, 452 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:36,679 Speaker 3: because there's seven drafts of the report, and they started 453 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,959 Speaker 3: writing lies claiming that they went above and beyond with 454 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 3: pre deployment of fire engines in personnel before the fire. No, 455 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 3: there was zero fire engines, there was zero firefighters, and 456 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 3: nobody was sent to the hotspot of the old fire. 457 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 3: After Newsom's State Parks employee has kicked LA Fire Department 458 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 3: off and the fire department just folded up and quit, 459 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 3: and nobody told the public, and Karen Vass has been 460 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 3: lying about not knowing about the fire warnings. It is, 461 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 3: it is so so horrible. These people ought to be 462 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 3: in jail. They ought to be in jail for allowing 463 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 3: this to happen. So I'm looking further into these stories 464 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 3: here about about all all the all the changes. Let 465 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 3: me turn and go to these pages. They went to 466 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 3: all the principles to get comments after The Times uncovered this, 467 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 3: and nobody, nobody wants to comment again. The battalion chief, 468 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 3: Kenneth Cook, his email about all the lies in the 469 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 3: report that was rewritten reached Bass's office in mid November. 470 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 2: They're pretending Bass had nothing to do with this. 471 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 3: That's what Clara Carger, a Bass spokeshole, said, And Carger said, well, 472 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 3: the mayor has inquired with Chief Moore. He's the new 473 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 3: stuoge running the fire department. Himimore, he's the new fire chief. 474 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 3: He's the one who accused the media of smearing the firefighters. 475 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 3: No to you guys, to you guys in charge of 476 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 3: the fire department. You lied in this report. You rewrote 477 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 3: all the bad stuff. That was a nice dodge on 478 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 3: Biden Himimore. Turns out the La Time submitted a public 479 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 3: records request last month for all of the mayor's emails 480 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 3: about the after action report, but this city has not 481 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 3: yet fulfilled it. 482 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 2: The city has had withheld Cook's. 483 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 3: Email from its response to a separate records request since October, 484 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 3: one hundred and eighty of Cook's emails were posted, but 485 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 3: not the one where he protested the rewriting of his report, 486 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 3: so he did it on purpose. Bass did this on purpose, 487 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 3: holding back the complaints by Kenneth Cook because he was 488 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 3: writing the truth. Only after The Times asked about it 489 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 3: was it posted last week. The Fire Department did not 490 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 3: respond to a Times query about why the email was 491 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 3: not released with the others. Bass's office did not respond 492 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 3: to a query about Kenneth Cook's concerns. Genethia Hudley Hayes, 493 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 3: president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, did not respond 494 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 3: to a request for comment. She said she'd heard rumors 495 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 3: that the author was unhappy, but she did not look 496 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 3: into the matter. Thank you, Genethia Hudley Hayes for working 497 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 3: for the people. July email thread reviewed by the Time 498 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 3: showed concern over how the after action report would be received, 499 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 3: so the fire department formed a crisis management work group 500 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 3: to manage communications for public relations issues that may arise. 501 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 2: Oh, the public is going to be upset. 502 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 3: That the city and the fire Department was so badly 503 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 3: prepared and so badly executed. It's battle against the fire, 504 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 3: and so we got to somehow cover it up, soften it, 505 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 3: water it down, rudder all the stupid cliches. The primary goal, 506 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 3: according to an LA Fire Department Assistant Chief Kyrie Brown Kairi, 507 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 3: the primary goal of this work group is to collaboratively 508 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 3: manage communications for any critical public relations issue that may arise. 509 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 3: You let the place burn, you didn't show up, and 510 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 3: then you've been lying about it and covering it up 511 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 3: ever since. 512 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 2: Here's your public relations report. 513 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 3: You're a bunch of incompetence and a bunch of wars 514 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 3: Or did you want this to happen? How could you 515 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 3: ignore seven days of wind and fire warnings? Conway's next 516 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 3: We'll see you tomorrow. Michael Krozer has the news live 517 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 3: in the KFI twenty four hour newsroom. Hey, you've been 518 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 3: listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always 519 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 3: hear the show live on KFI Am six forty from 520 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:33,960 Speaker 3: one to four pm every Monday through Friday, and of 521 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 3: course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.