Republican Sen. Rick Scott on Tuesday sharply criticized Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing them of dragging out the release of documents connected to the deadly Palisades Fire for nearly a year.
“Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom seem more interested in advancing their political ambitions than serving the Americans that elected them,” the Florida senator told the California Post. “When government fails and harms the American people, the public deserves answers. We’re going to get them.”
Scott’s remarks come almost a year after he and Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, opened a congressional investigation into the January 2025 Palisades Fire, a catastrophic blaze that destroyed thousands of homes, caused billions of dollars in damage and left 12 people dead.
The two senators formally announced the investigation in September 2025, requesting records related to California wildfire preparedness and the government response to the disaster.
Scott and Johnson later sent document requests to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Los Angeles city officials, seeking materials on emergency planning, staffing levels, water supply issues, evacuation procedures and after-action reports.
In one request to the LAFD, the senators sought records detailing how the department prepared for the fire, how firefighters and equipment were deployed before the wind event, any communications with Bass and Newsom’s office, and the drafting of the department’s after-action report.
“Senator Johnson and I have been requesting documents for nearly a year, and despite the delays, we are not going to take our foot off the gas,” Scott said.
Scott’s office accused Bass and Newsom of “stonewalling” the congressional wildfire investigation, though it did not offer additional details about the current status of the inquiry.
The Post has contacted both the mayor and governor’s offices for comment.
A July 2025 preliminary report from LADWP flagged problems with critical water systems during the fires, including fire hydrants that lost pressure.
Scott and Johnson later sought records from city officials about the water-system failures and the city’s response to the blazes.
Bass has faced intense political scrutiny over her handling of the devastating LA wildfires, including criticism of the city’s pre-deployment strategy and the pace of the recovery.
Reports and subsequent legal filings have also alleged that the mayor’s office pressured officials to soften the Palisades Fire after-action report in an effort to limit the city’s liability over pre-deployment shortcomings — allegations Bass has strongly denied.
The senators held a field hearing in Pacific Palisades in November 2025 titled “Forgotten After the Flames: Stories from the Palisades Fire,” where survivors and local leaders detailed their experiences and ongoing recovery challenges.
The investigation has continued into 2026, with Scott’s office specifically accusing Bass of stalling the release of requested documents.
“The lack of accountability to victims of the Palisades Wildfire is disgusting, and it demands action to force answers from Bass, Newsom, and everyone else that allowed this tragedy to occur,” he told the Post.
Scott’s broadside comes as congressional Republicans have increasingly put California officials under the microscope, with House Republicans separately targeting Bass over the handling of Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis.
The House Oversight Committee’s Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee is moving ahead with a Sept. 15 hearing examining federal homelessness funding in Los Angeles, despite Bass’ decision not to appear.
The panel has accused the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority of waste, fraud and abuse and has sought answers from the mayor about the city’s oversight of the agency.
Meanwhile, the wildfire investigation remains a political headache for California’s Democratic leadership.
Bass is fighting to retain her seat in the November mayoral election, while Newsom is approaching the end of his second and final term as governor and has continued to fuel speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid.
The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and officially started on January 1, 2025, before explosively spreading amid severe Santa Ana winds on January 7, 2025. The fire burned over 23,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
