Douglas Emmett has ponied up $400,000 to a Los Angeles police union to knock progressive Councilwoman Nithya Raman out of her seat of the L.A. City Council.
The Santa Monica-based real estate investment trust wrote a check to the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which sponsors a committee trying to unseat Raman in the March 5 election, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The landlord’s donation adds to at least $789,000 in independent expenditures aimed at electing Deputy City Attorney Ethan Weaver to the council.
Raman, whose 4th City Council district runs from Koreatown through the Hollywood Hills and into North Hollywood, has been the subject of attack ads centering on homelessness and public safety.
The progressive councilwoman voted against an ordinance barring homeless encampments next to schools and daycare centers, and voted against lucrative pay raises for police.
Douglas Emmett declined to explain the reasons for its donations in Raman’s district, saying its advocacy work is about “creating value” for its stockholders and other stakeholders, according to an unidentified spokesperson.
The REIT seeks to evict hundreds of tenants from Barrington Plaza, one of the biggest apartment complexes in West Los Angeles, and the center of a tenant lawsuit over mass evictions.
This month, Douglas Emmett secured a $550 million loan linked to the 577-unit, rent-controlled tower, as well as three other residential properties
Craig Lally, president of the Police Protective League, said his union got involved in the 4th District race out of concern over Raman’s policy positions. In an email to the Times, Lally said Raman’s views on encampments near schools are “out of touch” with voters. He criticized Raman for opposing the police raises, saying they were needed for recruitment and retention.
Raman said the attack ads against her don’t acknowledge the reductions in crime and homelessness in her district since she took office in 2020. She touted her success in moving residents out of encampments in Sherman Oaks, Studio City and other parts of the district.
“It does seem like the attacks are not coming from a place of honest concern around public safety outcomes around the city,” the Silver Lake resident told the Times.
Weaver, who lives in Los Feliz, said he is proud of the support he has received from public safety unions. He also defended his support from parts of the real estate industry — both construction trade unions and real estate developers.
“I’m very proud that people across the spectrum involved in building the housing that we need see me as necessary in helping to address the crisis,” he told the Times.
— Dana Bartholomew
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