LA Mayor's Brother Joins Lawsuit Against City

The fallout from the deadly Palisades in California fire now includes a lawsuit with a family twist. Kenneth Bass, whose sister is Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, has joined thousands of residents and business owners suing the city and a slate of public agencies and utilities over the 2025 blaze, reports the Los Angeles Times. Kenneth Bass lost his Malibu home in the fire, per KABC. The 78-year-old and his wife, Cindy, filed their suit in May, alleging smoke inhalation injuries, emotional distress, and other damage, according to the complaint folded into a broader "master" case.

That case accuses 18 public and private entities—including the city of Los Angeles, the city's water and power department, the state, California Parks, and Southern California Edison—of negligence in the fire that killed 12 people and burned roughly 6,800 structures. Federal prosecutors have charged an alleged arsonist, but plaintiffs say officials worsened the disaster, pointing to an empty Santa Ynez reservoir, along with (disputed) claims of weak water pressure and a risky power grid. City lawyers deny wrongdoing. Bass, who publicly acknowledged her brother's loss last year, is in a tight reelection fight where her fire response is already a central issue. She will face City Council member Nithya Raman in November.