House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) abruptly pulled his endorsement of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, a fellow Democrat running for reelection.
Schiff in 2019 endorsed Lacey, who has been in office for two terms.
Both the federal lawmaker and Laura Friedman, a state assemblywoman, “no longer feel our endorsement of Jackie Lacey a year ago has the same meaning,” Schiff wrote. “We have decided to withdraw it.”
Friedman, a Democrat, issued a similar statement.
Another Democrat, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, said last week that it “may be” time for a new district attorney.
Lacey defended herself after the endorsements were withdrawn.
“As the first African American woman to hold the LA County D.A.’s office, I am proud of my record of taking on systemic racism and reforming criminal justice—from bail reform, to reducing juvenile cases by nearly 50%, to increasing our office’s focus on mental health treatment instead of incarceration,” she said in a statement sent to news outlets.
“I am singularly focused on doing the work of the people of L.A. County during this time of crisis.”
Lacey has faced criticism over her refusal to charge police officers with misconduct for on-duty shootings. Dozens of protesters gathered outside her house over the weekend to call for charges against the officers who shot Alex Flores in 2019 and Daniel Hernandez this year.
“Everybody is utterly shocked when they think about the number of people who have been killed by police or while in custody since Lacey took office,” Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter’s Los Angeles chapter, told The Associated Press at the protest.
