STATEMENT BY THE LA COALITION FOR DA JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY RE: DA LACEY'S DECISION TO DROP OUT OF 2/13 DEBATE
We were disappointed to learn that LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey plans to pull out of the Feb. 13 Candidate Forum she had agreed to join alongside her two challengers: former San Francisco DA George Gascón & former public defender Rachel Rossi. This would be only the second (and last scheduled) public appearance by DA Lacey before the March 3 election. Voters need to hear from her.
The Feb. 13 forum is organized by the nonpartisan LA City and LA County chapters of the League of Women Voters, but is co-hosted by a number of other nonpartisan organizations, including our coalition. To be clear, there is no conflict of interest with our coalition's participation, and Lacey's campaign did not raise any concerns with us, or with any of the other event co-hosts, before announcing that she was "forced" to withdraw from the debate. As a coalition we are explicitly nonpartisan and do not endorse any candidates or parties. We are almost entirely led by unpaid volunteers, and we have not received any funding or material support from any of the candidates’ campaigns, or from any individuals supporting those campaigns. We have issued the same invitations to all candidates for all of the events we have hosted or co-hosted.
Our mission is to raise public awareness of the LA County DA's office — the largest and most powerful prosecutor’s office in the U.S. — and to make sure that it is transparent and accountable to voters. Our members include organizations and individuals with a range of views, and our members are free to express their personal opinions on their own behalf without representing the coalition.
Because we do not want our association with a public forum to be used by any campaign as an excuse to not participate, we have offered to withdraw our participation if it means that DA Lacey will re-join the forum. The issues on the ballot on March 3 are too important for the public not to witness a robust and open debate with all three candidates. We sincerely hope DA Lacey reconsiders — an informed public depends on her participation.
The LA Coalition for DA Justice & Accountability
dajusticecoalition.org