Republicans probe California governor, LA mayor due t retaliations

(MENAFN) The US House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into the role of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in handling the riots that broke out following a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on undocumented migrants.

The committee, led by Republicans James Comer and Clay Higgins, is alleging that Newsom and Bass failed to respond adequately to the upheaval and obstructed federal authorities’ attempts to control the situation. The unrest, which started last week, quickly turned violent, with rioters setting police cars and US flags on fire, blocking roads, and clashed with officers who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Hundreds were arrested and many injured in the chaos.

Comer and Higgins demanded Newsom and Bass submit documents and communications from June 1, 2025, onwards, related to their handling of the riots. The Republicans also accused the two Democrats of falsely insisting state and local authorities were in control and unfairly shifting blame to President Donald Trump for the violence.

Newsom previously challenged Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to the state in court. A federal judge initially struck it down, but a temporary injunction from the Court of Appeals kept the Guard under federal control, at least until a Tuesday hearing.

In response to the inquiry, Newsom’s press office said on X that the documents may reveal “unusual communications from the White House” and challenged the White House to match their transparency. Newsom called Trump’s actions “authoritarian” and a violation of state sovereignty, while Trump demanded Newsom “get his act together” and apologized for what he called “a horrible job.” Trump also supported White House border chief Tom Homan’s proposal to arrest Newsom for allegedly obstructing federal enforcement.

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