{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2025/10/sen-rick-scott-chair-ron-johnson-send-letter-to-la-city-council-president-requesting-records-into-pacific-palisades-wildfire-city-s-efforts-to-redevelop-affected-areas", "Sen. Rick Scott, Chair Ron Johnson Send Letter to LA City Council President Requesting Records into Pacific Palisades Wildfire, City\u2019s Efforts to Redevelop Affected Areas", "2025-10-20", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "FL", "Rick Scott", "S001217", "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "rickscott", "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Senator Rick Scott and Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), sent a letter to Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as part of their ongoing congressional investigation into the deadly Palisades fire, which devastated Los Angeles communities, caused billions in property damage, and resulted in the tragic loss of life. In their letter, the senators request records related to the city\u2019s wildfire preparedness, emergency response efforts, water infrastructure issues, and redevelopment plans in the fire-affected areas.\n\nThis letter follows numerous other letters from Senator Scott and Chairman Johnson as part of their investigation, including to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Chief Executive Officer Janisse Qui\u00f1ones and the Los Angeles Fire Department's former Chief Crowley.\n\nSenator Scott has also sent letters to the USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, DOI Secretary Doug Burgum, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and recently, a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking for the secretary to review reports suggesting that Communist China has been taking advantage of these devasting wildfires by purchasing the destroyed land.\n\nRead the letter to Councilman Harris-Dawson HERE or below:\n\nDear Mr. Harris\u2013Dawson:\n\nIn January 2025, a number of wildfires, including the Palisades fire, devastated Los Angeles County, California. These fires caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses, and tragically resulted in loss of life. Public reports have raised questions about Los Angeles\u2019s wildfire preparations and the response to the January 2025 wildfires, including the Palisades fire. For example, even though a suspect was recently charged with starting the Lachman fire, the Palisades fire appears to have been caused by a reignition of the Lachman fire, even though Los Angeles officials stated that the fire was \u201cfully contained.\u201d Additionally, a July 2025 preliminary report issued by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (\u201cLADWP\u201d) identified issues with critical water systems necessary for fire suppression, including loss of pressure to fire hydrants. There have also been other allegations that the mismanagement of reservoirs led to a lack of water on the day that residents in Los Angeles County needed it most.\n\nPursuant to Senate Resolution 94 (119th Cong.), the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (the \u201cSubcommittee\u201d) is conducting a review of Los Angeles\u2019s wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts, including the response to the Palisades fire. To assist the Subcommittee in its review, please provide the following information and records. Unless otherwise stated, the period of time covered by this request is from February 1, 2022, to present.\n\nAll records referring or relating to wildfire preparation, suppression, and response (including alerts, notifications, and evacuation plans) between December 28, 2024 and the present, including but not limited to the response to the Palisades and Lachman fires.\n\nAll records referring or relating to proposed budget cuts and workforce reductions at the Los Angeles Fire Department (\u201cLAFD\u201d) or LADWP.\n\nAll records referring or relating to the Palisades and Eaton fires, including but not limited to:\n\nAll communications between and among members of and employees at the City Council\u2019s Office;\n\nAny after action or other assessment of the cause of the Palisades and Eaton fires, including all communications related to the suspected non-natural or man-made causes;\n\nAll communications referring or related to Jonathan Rinderknecht;6 and\n\nAll communications with residents of the Pacific Palisades.\n\nAll records referring or relating to any reports or investigations of arson, burglary, theft, or looting in fire-affected areas, including but not limited to communications with law enforcement or emergency management agencies.\n\nAll records referring or relating to the Santa Ynez Reservoir and the Chautauqua Reservoir (also known as the \u201cPalisades Reservoir\u201d), including but not limited to all communications with the LADWP regarding the closure of the Santa Ynez Reservoir.\n\nAll records referring or relating to the February 21, 2025, removal of Kristin M. Crowley from her role as Fire Chief of the LAFD.\n\nAll records referring or relating to the creation or oversight of diversity, equity, and inclusion (\u201cDEI\u201d) hiring policies for the LAFD and the LADWP from April 1, 2020, to present, including the budgetary impact of DEI programs or initiatives and how the City Council\u2019s \u201cefforts to dismantle systemic racism\u201d applied to these departments.\n\nAll records referring or relating to redevelopment in fire-affected areas, including but not limited to:\n\nBuilding or land-use permits, applications, or approvals;\n\nProposed or enacted changes to regulations;\n\nProposed or enacted zoning modifications or variances;\n\nProposals for or approvals of low-income housing developments;\n\nProposals for or approvals of multifamily housing developments; and\n\nThe construction of public transportation stations.\n\nAll communications referring or relating to wildfire prevention, mitigation, or suppression, including but not limited to the Palisades fire, between members of and employees of the City Council and any employee or official with the following entities:\n\nLADWP;\n\nLos Angeles Mayor\u2019s Office;\n\nOffice of the Governor of California;\n\nLAFD;\n\nLos Angeles County Fire Department; and\n\nAny federal agency or department.\n\nPlease produce this information as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on November 3, 2025. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Subcommittee staff at (202) 224-3721 and (202) 224-0909. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2025/10/sen-rick-scott-chair-ron-johnson-send-letter-to-la-city-council-president-requesting-records-into-pacific-palisades-wildfire-city-s-efforts-to-redevelop-affected-areas"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5104110352694988, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}