Los Angeles County Counsel announced it’s launching an investigation into Downtown L.A. Law Group, among others, for potential fraudulent sexual abuse claims against the county, according to an L.A. County news release.
The claims are related to Assembly Bill 218, which went into effect in 2020 and allowed sex abuse victims to file lawsuits until age 40 or within five years of discovery.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a news release Friday that she strongly supports the investigation, adding that she was the author of the motion that created a hotline for suspected cases of fraudulent claims related to AB 218.
“False claims spread like wildfire — they damage credibility, drain critical resources, and hurt the very survivors this law was meant to help. If you try to game the system, Los Angeles County will respond,” Barger, whose district includes the Santa Clarita Valley, said in the statement. “We will protect survivors, defend taxpayers and uphold the integrity of this process.”
The investigation comes in the wake of two major settlements with thousands of people who’ve claimed to have been sexually abused at county facilities, including schools, juvenile halls and foster homes: a $4 billion settlement with 6,800 claimants approved in April 2025 and an $828 million settlement with more than 400 claimants, according to the county press release.
The L.A. Times reported in October 2025 that reporters found seven people, desperate for cash, who were paid by...
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has apologized for claiming, without evidence, that his fellow council member Sean Orr distributed illegal drugs. Sim refused to answer more specific questions from reporte...