LOS ANGELES – Rick Caruso, the dedicated civic leader who served as President of the L.A. Police Commission, today announced his endorsement of Nathan Hochman for District Attorney, recognizing his proven experience as a former federal prosecutor and a defense attorney and his commitment to prioritizing victims over criminals, making Hochman the only candidate who can restore public safety in Los Angeles County.
Speaking at a news conference outside Casa Vega family restaurant in Sherman Oaks, Caruso emphasized that under D.A. George Gascon and his failed political agenda, criminals have become emboldened, targeting the same victims repeatedly, knowing they will not be held accountable for their actions. As a result, victims are being abandoned by Gascon without ever receiving the justice that is within their legal rights and that they so deserve.
“When one looks at the state of L.A. County, the need for justice and accountability is clear. Over the past four years, victims of crime have been abandoned while repeat offenders continue to cause harm. Our current District Attorney appears more concerned with letting criminals reoffend than protecting our communities. Enough is enough of George Gascon’s pro-criminal creeds. We need a new leader who will curb violent and property crime, prioritize victims, and work to address the underlying factors of delinquency,” Caruso said. “That is why I am proud to endorse Nathan Hochman for District Attorney. A former federal prosecutor and LA City Ethics Commission President, Nathan will be a just leader in the D.A.’s office. He will focus on what matters most: advocating for the voiceless and pursuing a safer, more just Los Angeles.”
Caruso is the latest in a series of important endorsements for Hochman, who is supported by more than 65 elected leaders, the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and former District Attorneys Steve Cooley and Jackie Lacey, who ran the D.A.’s Office from 2000 to 2020.
“I am grateful to Rick Caruso for endorsing my candidacy for District Attorney and for recognizing the urgent need to restore trust, integrity and independence to the District Attorney’s Office for the sake of the 10 million residents of Los Angeles County, who are less safe today than they were four years ago, due to Gascon’s political experimentation with their safety and quality of life,” Hochman said. “Rick has dedicated his life to public service and, as former president of the L.A. Police Commission, knows well what it takes to protect our community from criminals and help residents, business owners and visitors return to a safer time when criminals were held accountable, and victims were heard and supported by prosecutors.”
Hochman also thanked Christina Vega, owner of Casa Vega, for her endorsement and for sharing her stories of how she and her staff have been repeated victims of crimes, similar to those that continue to plague food vendors and other small business owners throughout Los Angeles County.
“We need a District Attorney that upholds and enforces laws that protect the hard-working people of Los Angeles County: Our workers, our businesses, our families, our children and our quality of life,” said Vega. “Instead, we have a District Attorney that bends over backwards to give the least amount of consequences for crime, even the most violent.”
Source: Press Release