Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department served a search warrant Wednesday morning at the Santa Monica home of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who has been a vocal critic of Sheriff Alex Villanueva and many of his policies, two officials familiar with the event told NBCLA.
The rationale for obtaining the warrant was not available, nor was a description of what was being sought or the name of the judge who signed it, the officials said.
LASD detectives also were seeking records or items from several other locations, including Kuehl’s office in downtown LA and offices at the MTA, the county’s transit agency, the officials confirmed. Reached early Wednesday, MTA director of public relations Joni Honor said she was unaware of any law enforcement activity and has not been notified that any of its offices were being searched.
Kuehl was at the residence during the search.
Sheriff’s department personnel at Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s residence Sept. 14, 2022.
The sheriff’s department issued a statement later Wednesday morning.
“Today, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Public Corruption Unit served search warrants at multiple locations in connection with an ongoing public corruption investigation,” the department said in its statement. “Those locations included the homes of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commissioner Patricia ‘Patti’ Giggans. Also searched were offices located at: Los Angeles County Hall of Administration, Peace Over Violence Headquarters, and LA Metro Headquarters. The investigation has been shared with a federal agency and they continue to monitor.”
Kuehl was first elected to represent the county’s Third District in November 2014. She was reelected to her second term in November 2018.
NBCLA’s Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.
