Three veteran Los Angeles prosecutors are speaking out against their boss, District Attorney George Gascon, for transferring them to lesser positions after they publicly backed his recall.
They say the moves are retaliatory because the trio vocalized how residents have suffered under Gascon’s two-year reign due to slashing charges and sentences for criminals — particularly violent offenders.
“I am going to continue to speak out. George Gascon will not get away with this. I will be in this office longer than he will. I will watch him leave the DA’s Office,” Deputy District Attorney Jason Lustig told Fox News. “He is not going to put fear in me to stop. He is trying to do it to my colleagues …They see the scorched earth vindictive behavior of this DA, and they are legitimately scared for their careers and potential retaliatory transfers.”
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Two other transfers, John Lewin and John McKinney, worked in the elite Major Crimes Unit, which handles difficult cases such as serial killers, homicides with missing bodies, and famous suspects. The pair has decades of experience handling such cases.
Lewin is a national expert on “no body” and cold murder cases and frequently instructs prosecutors from other jurisdictions.
The prosecutors said their pay was not affected but rather the job duties resemble what they had decades ago. Earlier this year, they gave media interviews to discuss how the DA’s Office has circumvented state charging and sentencing laws to cater to criminals.
“It is a shame that so many important cases will suffer or not even be filed because of Gascon’s petty and invidious vindictiveness,” former District Attorney Steve Cooley told the Washington Examiner. “This is beyond sad. It’s totally retaliatory.”
Lustig’s job is going from assistant head of the Long Beach courthouse to filing narcotics cases, a position he held in 1994.
Lewin will be moving to the Inglewood courthouse, where his job duties are unknown. He has granted numerous interviews to Los Angeles radio station KNX in which he called Gascon’s policies illegal and dangerous.
“I knew I was taking somewhat of a risk [speaking out], but you hope individuals will live up to the jobs they are given and will put personal animus aside,” Lewin said. “I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m extremely disappointed.”
McKinney will be moving to an east Los Angeles satellite office where his duties are unclear.
“He does not want deputy district attorneys like me and my colleagues who he punished this week to speak out, to speak to people like you, to communicate with the people of Los Angeles County and the nation,” McKinney told Fox News.
Last month, Los Angeles County officials said a grassroots coalition failed to deliver enough valid signatures to place a recall on the ballot. The bipartisan campaign to oust Gascon was composed of prosecutors, law enforcement members, and crime victims. McKinney has said he hoped to run for district attorney should Gascon be recalled.
The District Attorney’s Office said in a statement by spokeswoman Tiffiny Blacknell, a former deputy public defender, that the moves were routine and not demotions.
“This transfer list included nearly 50 employees including new DDA hires. No employees were demoted during this process,” she said.
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“We take issue with the insinuation that only the people currently assigned to the Major Crimes Division are capable of doing challenging work,” Blacknell continued. “We have extraordinary lawyers in every branch of this department with the experience, knowledge and skill set to handle major crime prosecutions. All of our lawyers should have the opportunity to enter special units to further develop and enhance their skill set.”
The prosecutors can challenge the transfers by filing a grievance, and if that does not work, taking the matter to court for a First Amendment rights violation, Cooley said.
