A federal corruption prosecutor has joined the LAPD investigation into allegations that the division mishandled a sexual assault criticism towards former CBS government Leslie Moonves, Los Angeles police instructed The Instances.
It’s the newest revelation after a surprising report by New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James revealed that former Cmdr. Cory Palka and maybe others within the Los Angeles Police Division labored to maintain a lid on explosive allegations towards Moonves at a time when prime media and movie figures had been being ousted by #MeToo allegations.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore launched an investigation in November after it was disclosed that Palka tipped off CBS executives a couple of confidential criticism made in 2017 by a former worker involving two alleged incidents with Moonves within the Eighties.
Whereas the accusations had been too previous to prosecute, Palka — then captain of the LAPD’s Hollywood station who moonlighted as a CBS government bodyguard — labored intently with the broadcasting firm to comprise the allegations.
After assembly with the household of Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, who filed the intercourse assault complaints, and issuing a private apology, Moore mentioned the LAPD would conduct an inner investigation and work with the L.A. County district legal professional and state legal professional basic. The division has since revealed its “investigators are working with america Legal professional Basic.”
Mack Jenkins, chief of public corruption and civil rights for the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Los Angeles, is working with the division, LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz mentioned. Jenkins has secured convictions towards the likes of former L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar, state politicians Ron Calderon and his brother Tom Calderon, and U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska).
Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. legal professional’s workplace, mentioned the company won’t touch upon the matter.
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón beforehand mentioned his workplace will evaluate any potential felony fees towards Palka and others concerned within the case.
Palka didn’t reply to requests for remark for this story.
Les Moonves, then chairman and CEO of CBS Corp., on the premiere of the tv collection “Star Trek: Discovery” on Sept. 19, 2017.
(Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)
Palka’s function within the Moonves case has some observers likening the cover-up to a scene from “L.A. Confidential,” the James Ellroy novel about corrupt cops that impressed the 1997 Kevin Spacey film. Data present that Palka labored for CBS on the Grammys from 2008 to 2014.
Any native fees would doubtless hinge on whether or not Palka’s actions amounted to a conspiracy to tamper with proof or commit against the law, an offense that’s restricted to a few years from the final alleged act and due to this fact could also be too previous to prosecute.
Moore has mentioned the division didn’t know of Palka’s involvement till November, when the New York legal professional basic’s report was launched.
The report was 5 years after Golden-Gottlieb, then 81, walked into the Hollywood station to report that Moonves had sexually assaulted her within the mid-Eighties. She was impressed by the #MeToo motion, which reached a peak within the fall of 2017 after the New York Instances and New Yorker journal revealed accounts of abuse by former movie producer Harvey Weinstein. CBS morning information anchor Charlie Rose had simply been fired after eight girls who labored at his PBS discuss present mentioned he had groped them, uncovered himself or spoke to them inappropriately.
In an interview in 2018, former tv government Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb alleges sexual abuse by the hands of Les Moonves.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Instances)
Golden-Gottlieb, who died in July 2022 on the age of 86, instructed The Instances in 2018 about her encounters with Moonves. She instructed police that in July 1986, Moonves pressured her to carry out oral intercourse on him in his automobile. One other time, he appeared bare under the waist in an workplace together with her, and the subsequent day, slammed her towards an workplace wall, she mentioned.
A watch commander on the Hollywood station the place she made the report instructed Palka concerning the allegations the identical day, an individual accustomed to the scenario instructed The Instances.
That evening, Palka left a voicemail for Ian Metrose — his contact at CBS, who was the community’s senior vp for expertise relations. The next day, after being directed by his boss, Metrose requested Palka for a duplicate of the confidential criticism. Palka despatched an unredacted model that contained Golden-Gottlieb’s identify, deal with and different figuring out info, the New York legal professional basic’s report mentioned.
Moonves was so involved that he sought to fulfill Palka in particular person.
“Would [he] meet me for a cup of espresso?” Moonves requested Metrose, in accordance with the report, which outlined a $30.5-million settlement reached by CBS’ mum or dad firm, Paramount World, to resolve the sexual assault claims. “It’s uncomfortable, I perceive. I simply need readability,” Moonves added. “I’ll meet him in the present day close to the place he lives.”
Palka, Moonves and Metrose met at a restaurant and winery in Westlake Village, close to the then-captain’s house.
Palka promised to maintain Moonves apprised of Golden-Gottlieb’s interactions with the LAPD and the district legal professional’s workplace. He then labored to maintain the lady quiet, in accordance with the AG’s report, even telling Moonves’ legal professional, Blair Berk, and Metrose that the detective investigating the allegations would “admonish the accuser tomorrow about refraining from going to the media and sustaining ‘her’ confidentiality … and honoring the integrity of the investigation.”
In keeping with the report, Palka labored with an unnamed particular person within the elite Theft-Murder Division who was dealing with the case to make sure Golden-Gottlieb didn’t go public together with her accusations. Palka instructed the CBS group he reached out to his LAPD contact and made certain Moonves’ lawyer was “the primary and solely level of contact.”
Golden-Gottlieb’s claims didn’t turn out to be public till July 2018 after six different girls alleged sexual misconduct in a New Yorker story. The Instances obtained a redacted copy of the declination from February of that yr that protected her identification. She then spoke to the New Yorker detailing her account together with a number of different girls, and Moonves grew to become the primary public media firm head ousted in the course of the #MeToo motion. He instructed CBS his acts with Golden-Gottlieb had been consensual.
In November, LAPD Theft-Murder Division Det. Oscar Gamino offered an investigation of the 2017 case to the district legal professional’s workplace. On the time, the case had been closed for practically 5 years and was rejected by the workplace of former Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey in February 2018.
“Out of an abundance of warning, I requested DB/RHD [Detective Bureau/Robbery-Homicide Division] to debate the case file with L.A. DA for any suggestions,” Moore instructed The Instances. “They concur with the unique declination.”
Gamino additionally appeared on the district legal professional’s workplace final month, a day after a Instances reporter despatched him a collection of questions on whether or not he mentioned the case with Palka.
In a reply, Gamino wrote to The Instances, saying: “The case is being reviewed by Inner Affairs Detectives, and I’m not at liberty to debate the matter.”
The Los Angeles Police Fee has requested its unbiased watchdog to supervise the investigation. LAPD Inspector Basic Mark Smith instructed the civilian police fee that he would look at the “division’s practices” for dealing with sexual misconduct circumstances and take a detailed have a look at its tips for off-duty bodyguard work by officers.
