A former big shot from Mayor Karen Bass’ crew in Los Angeles has copped a plea deal with the feds, admitting he phoned in a bogus bomb threat to City Hall at the end of last year. The blame game pointed towards anti-Israel feelings, federal prosecutors spilled the beans on Thursday. Brian Williams, a long-time watchdog for law enforcement who served as Bass’ right-hand man for public safety, is set to plead guilty to a threats charge that could land him up to 10 years in the slammer. He’s scheduled for his first court appearance in a few weeks.
Why in the world did Williams do this? No one really knows. The incident went down during a virtual meeting at City Hall on October 3, 2024. Williams decided it was a good idea to use his personal phone’s Google Voice app to ring his city-issued cell phone, as per the plea agreement. He then told Scott Harrelson, a top LAPD chief aide, that an unknown dude threatened to blow up City Hall. But get this, Williams had no intentions of actually following through with the threat. So, like, what was the point, right?
After the call, Williams texted Bass and other big shots at City Hall about the bomb threat. He claimed some guy was fed up with the city supporting Israel and decided to plant a bomb in City Hall. But surprise, surprise, no bomb was found after the LAPD searched the place. Turns out, Williams had faked the call using Google Voice. Seriously, who does that? The FBI got wind of Williams’ shenanigans in December when they raided his crib in Pasadena. It shook things up at City Hall and the LAPD, with many folks finding it hard to believe a respected official would pull such a stunt. Before the FBI took over the case, LAPD detectives had their suspicions about Williams being behind the threat.
Williams, who was overseeing the police and fire departments as the deputy mayor, was on leave due to the investigation in January when a massive fire in Pacific Palisades claimed 12 lives and wiped out over 6,000 buildings. Bass’ spokesperson, Zach Seidl, expressed shock and sadness over the situation. Williams has been in various government roles for over three decades, including a stint as Mayor James K. Hahn’s deputy mayor. He also spent time as an assistant city attorney in LA. Williams’ LinkedIn page shows he was the executive director of the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission from 2016 to 2023. During his time with Bass, he handled police and fire departments, Port Police, Airport Police, and emergency management. The guy was a key player in the search for a new police chief, which ended with the hiring of Jim McDonnell. When Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman took office, Williams spoke on behalf of the mayor at the swearing-in ceremony.
Akil Davis, the assistant director at the FBI’s LA office, called out Williams for “betraying the residents of Los Angeles, responding officers, and the office’s integrity” by making up a bomb threat. The statement also highlighted the importance of holding government officials to a higher standard. At least Williams owned up to his actions, right?
