Debunking Lies Regarding LA Councilmember Bonin

On Friday, August 7, Melugin tweeted a link to what he claimed what as a public records request indicating that Bonin, an outspoken progressive who had recently supported cuts to the LAPD budget, had called LAPD for a police response to his home, often to protect him from protesters, eight times since the start of April.

Juicy story, right? The problem is it was absolutely, demonstrably, false. His linked document does not show that. The facts do not show that. And the Los Angeles Police Department contradicts that.

Over the course of three days, the lie spread like wildfire, with stories accusing Bonin of outrageous hypocrisy on conservative sites like Breitbart and the Daily Caller, to conservative talk radio, to British tabloids, and to Tucker Carlson on the Fox News Channel. Most stories also attacked Bonin’s progressive politics and maligned the Black Lives Matter movement, which Bonin supports.

Melugin’s tweet was not just inaccurate, but also cynical, malicious, and suspicious.

Let’s dive into it.

Inaccurate
The tweet included a link to a website maintained by the City of Los Angeles to manage requests made under the California Public Records Act, and provided the results of a request made on July 20, 2020, which asked for an itemized list of reports about calls to Bonin’s home address.

Melugin claimed the document shows Bonin “has called LAPD to his home 8 times.”

The documentation does not show that. It gives no indication whatsoever that Bonin, his family, or anyone in his household made any such calls. In fact, LAPD confirms that Bonin made no such calls or requests for patrols.

The report Melugin shared shows what are clearly listed as officer-initiated calls to Bonin’s home during protests on May 17 and May 24. In both cases, Bonin has saved text messages to LAPD expressing his desire that LAPD not respond. “Please do not -- do not - send anyone,” Bonin texted to an LAPD Captain on May 17. LAPD ultimately responded to a call from one of Bonin’s neighbors, who called to complain about the use of a bullhorn in front of their home.

Bonin also has saved texts from April and May to local captains and Police Chief Michel Moore, indicating his preference that LAPD not provide a proactive or protective patrol at his home during protests, writing that it would be inappropriate, stating that “given the incredible demands you and your officers face on a daily basis, there are 100,000 places more important to be in Pacific Division.”

The CPRA report also indicates officer-initiated calls to Bonin’s home on April 7, April 9, and May 21. Bonin and his family were unaware of these LAPD-initiated calls, and have asked LAPD to explain who initiated the calls and why.

The CPRA report also seemed to indicate that LAPD responded to 911 calls for Bonin’s home shortly before and shortly after midnight April 4. It did not indicate who made the calls. Bonin and his family have never made a 911 to their home. Their phone records from those dates indicate no calls to anyone were made at those times, and they were unaware of any LAPD response to their home on that date. Bonin asked LAPD for an explanation, and upon investigation, they determined that the calls in fact never happened, and were erroneously included in the CPRA report (see attached letter).

In short, the link Melugin provided never indicated Bonin made any calls or requests for patrol cars from LAPD. And LAPD confirms that none of the calls or requests came from Bonin.

Perhaps Melugin did not intentionally post false information. Maybe he did not bother to read the information he reported. That’s pretty much a cardinal sin in journalism. Melugin did not bother to call LAPD or Bonin for a response before posting the link. Had he done so, he would have been told, as Chief Moore communicated to Bonin August 12, that “police responses were not initiated by [Bonin] or anyone at [his] residence.” He also would have been told that some of the responses actually never happened.

Cynical
Melugin’s tweet, clearly designed to brand Bonin as a hypocrite, falsely claims he requested “extra patrols and protection from peaceful protesters at his house.” A local podcast, Ground Game LA, theorized that Melguin’s intent with this was suggesting that Bonin, the council’s most outspoken progressive voice, is afraid of Black Lives Matter protesters. On the contrary, the protests at Bonin’s home were largely from people opposing homeless housing, rent control, Safer at Home orders, and opposing the Black Lives Matter movement. Protesters have taken down Bonin’s “Black Lives Matter” lawn sign, wrote “Black Lives is a Hate Group” in chalk on the street of Bonin’s home, and chanted “I can’t breathe” the weekend after George Floyd’s murder as an objection to a homeless shelter in their community.

Malicious
The link Melugin tweeted included the home address of Bonin and his family, including his six-year-old child. Melugin is well aware of the nature of his social media following. It is no surprise that comments on Bonin’s social media accounts in the days following Melugin’s tweet include remarks that are racist or homophobic, and include threats of violence or prayers for harm to come to Bonin.

Suspicious
The timing of Melugin’s tweet and its ensuing viral explosion is suspicious, especially for a reporter who is widely regarded as a mouthpiece for local law enforcement, the first to report police union attacks on Mayor Garcetti and other public officials, and to first with an exclusive -- and false -- report that Starbucks employees had put a tampon in a law enforcement officer’s Frappuccino.

Melugin’s tweet came as the LA Police Protective League (LAPPL, the police officers’ union) began unveiling a PR campaign against Bonin, attacking him for supporting cuts to the LAPD budget and claiming his position threatens neighborhood safety. (Despite LAPPL’s ardent support for an earlier budget proposal that would have slashed neighborhood patrols by 220,000 hours this year to pay for raises.)

LAPPL has expressed mounting ire at Bonin in recent months as the councilman insisted LAPD implement budget cuts equivalent other city departments during a fiscal crisis, and while Bonin voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement, championed calls for reimagining public safety with civilian responses to many incidents, and led the charge for an independent investigation into allegations of police abuse and misconduct during recent protests.

LAPPL has sent mail to voters, spent money on digital advertisements, and created videos to smear Bonin. The LAPPL newsletter, as well as individual members of the LAPPL board of directors, circulated stories generated by Melugin’s report.

While the Melugin report and the LAPPL smear campaign have certainly spread widely, if the goal was to deter or frighten Bonin, the tactic is proving unsuccessful. Bonin has made abundantly clear that he will not back down in his demands for police accountability, his support for civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“This is an attempt to silence me and intimidate others — and it is not going to work,” Bonin said. “I won’t be bullied by anyone, especially by the police union, which is used to getting everything it wants and pushing public officials around when it doesn’t. The stakes are way too high.”