Latest news with #Szabo
Los Angeles Times
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
This Los Angeles city official testified for four days so Karen Bass wouldn't have to
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's David Zahniser, with an assist from Noah Goldberg and Laura Nelson, giving you the latest on city and county government. If Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass manages to hold on to her power to oversee the city's homelessness programs, she may well have one person to thank: City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. Szabo, a fixture in the administrations of the past three mayors, was effectively the city's star witness in its legal battle against the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, the nonprofit group that sued the city in 2020 over its handling of the homelessness crisis. During a seven-day hearing that concluded Wednesday, the alliance pressed U.S. Dist. Judge David O. Carter to take authority over homeless services away from Bass and the City Council and give it to a to-be-determined third party overseen by the court. On four of those seven days, Szabo sat in the witness chair, defending the city's decisions and occasionally offering cutting remarks about the city's critics. Above all, he insisted the city would meet its obligation to provide 12,915 additional homeless beds by June 2027, as required under a settlement agreement with the alliance. Szabo, who reports to both Bass and the council, is well known within City Hall for his work preparing the city budget, negotiating with city unions and providing policy recommendations on homelessness and other issues. During his time in Carter's courtroom, he was also a human shield, taking the brunt of the hostile questions and helping to ensure that Bass and others would not be called to testify. Throughout the proceedings, the city's lawyers lodged hundreds of objections to the alliance's questions, sometimes before they had been fully asked. Carter cautioned them that the rapid-fire interruptions could make things difficult for inexperienced witnesses. He also made clear that the group did not include Szabo. 'Mr. Szabo,' the judge said, 'certainly is used to the stress.' The alliance had placed not just Bass but also Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park on its witness list, saying all three had made public statements criticizing the response system. Bass herself called the system 'broken' during her State of the City address in April, a fact highlighted by Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance. Those statements, Umhofer said, only reinforce the alliance's argument that the city's homelessness programs are beyond repair and must be placed into receivership. 'The city is not fixing that broken system,' he said during closing arguments. 'It's simply doubling down on that broken system.' Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl, asked to explain the mayor's use of the word 'broken,' said she was referring to a number of obstacles, including 'an urge from many to return to the old way of doing things that allowed homelessness to explode.' 'But change is happening,' he said. 'Under the Mayor's leadership, we are moving forward.' The city's newly hired legal team from Gibson Dunn, the law firm that persuaded the Supreme Court to uphold laws barring homeless encampments on public property, sought to amplify that message. They also claimed the mayor and council members were shielded by the 'apex doctrine,' which bars high-level, or apex, government officials from testifying except in extraordinary circumstances. The city's lawyers offered up just two witnesses of their own: Szabo and Etsemaye Agonafer, Bass' deputy mayor for homelessness programs, saying they were the most familiar with the issues. The alliance initially sought 15. Agonafer testified for about four hours, highlighting progress made by the mayor's Inside Safe program, which moves people out of encampments and into hotels and motels. Umhofer ultimately withdrew his subpoenas targeting Bass and the others, saying he didn't want to incur additional delays. But he called Bass cowardly for failing to show up. By then, he said, his team had enough evidence to show that the city's elected officials should no longer control homeless programs. 'We have quite literally put the homelessness response system in Los Angeles on trial,' said Elizabeth Mitchell, another alliance attorney, on the final day of proceedings. The alliance used much of the questioning to highlight problems at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA. That agency, overseen by a board of appointees from the city and county, has been criticized repeatedly in audits dating back to 2001 — documents highlighted by the alliance during the proceedings. Szabo acknowledged that LAHSA has faced issues with data collection. But he insisted that the city is closely tracking the beds required under its settlement with the alliance. 'We have taken steps to ensure that the data we are reporting is accurate,' he told the court. Carter, who has yet to rule in the case, did not sound as confident in the city's attention to detail. On Wednesday, he demanded that the city turn over records regarding its compliance with another agreement in the case — this one known as the 'roadmap.' The roadmap agreement, which expires June 30, required the city to produce 6,700 beds. In his order, Carter raised questions about whether city officials had double counted 'time-limited subsidies' — money used to help homeless people move into apartments and pay their rent — by applying them both to the roadmap requirements and to the obligations within the alliance settlement agreement. Szabo said city officials are collecting the records for the judge. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose district includes Hollywood, voiced confidence in Szabo. He also praised Bass for taking on the issue of homelessness, pointing out that LAHSA reported that the city had made progress last year. 'We're doing things that are showing results,' said Soto-Martínez, whose office has participated in 23 Inside Safe encampment operations. 'Is it perfect? No. But we're working through it.' — ICE RAID OUTRAGE: L.A.'s elected officials voiced their anger on Friday over a series of federal immigration sweeps in Westlake, Cypress Park and other parts of the city. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the individuals detained were 'hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day.' Bass issued her own statement, saying: 'We will not stand for this.' 'As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,' she said. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.' — WELCOME, AECOM: Nearly five months after a firestorm laid waste to a wide swath of Pacific Palisades, Bass announced that the city has hired the global infrastructure firm AECOM to develop a plan for rebuilding the area and reconstructing utilities and other infrastructure. The firm will work alongside both the city and Hagerty Consulting, which Bass tapped as a recovery contractor in February, according to the mayor's office. — SWITCHING HORSES? Businessman and gubernatorial candidate Stephen J. Cloobeck offered praise for L.A.'s mayor last year, commending her for her work addressing homelessness. He even said he had donated $1 million to LA4LA, an initiative promoted by Bass during her 2024 State of the City address, an event he attended. But last weekend, while making the rounds at the California Democratic Convention, he told The Times he wasn't so keen on Bass' leadership. 'I would support Rick Caruso in a heartbeat over Mayor Karen Bass, and that's a quote,' he said. — MISSED MESSAGES: Bass has come under heavy scrutiny for deleting text messages she sent during the January firestorms. But she wasn't the only one. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area devastated by the Eaton fire, has an iPhone that 'auto deletes' messages every 30 days, her spokesperson said. — ENGINE TROUBLE: Earlier this year, then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited disabled engines, and a lack of mechanics, as one reason why fire officials did not dispatch more personnel to Pacific Palisades before the Jan. 7 fire. But a Times analysis found that many of the broken engines highlighted by department officials had been out of service for many months or even years — and not necessarily for a lack of mechanics. What's more, the LAFD had dozens of other engines that could have been staffed and deployed in advance of the fire. — SAYONARA, CEQA: State lawmakers are on the verge of overhauling the California Environmental Quality Act, which has been used for decades to fight real estate development and public works projects in L.A. and elsewhere. One proposal would wipe away the law for most urban housing developments. — PADRINOS PAYOUT: L.A. County has agreed to pay nearly $2.7 million to a teenager whose violent beating at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall launched a sprawling criminal investigation into so-called 'gladiator fights' inside the troubled facility. Video of the December 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, showed Jose Rivas Barillas, then 16, being pummeled by six juveniles as probation officers stood idly by. — EVADING EVICTION: A 70-year-old homeless man who illegally moved into a state-owned house in the path of the now-canceled 710 Freeway extension is fighting his eviction. Benito Flores, who seized a vacant residence in El Sereno several years ago, recently holed up in a tree house he built in the backyard — and so far has warded off attempts by sheriff's deputies to lock him out. — AIRPORT AHEAD: The long-awaited LAX/Metro transit center at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street finally opened on Friday, bringing commuters tantalizingly close to Los Angeles International Airport. For now, free shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes along the 2.5-mile route between the transit center and LAX. — BREAKING BARRIERS: The first transgender captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department died last month at age 80. Michele Kaemmerer joined the LAFD in 1969, retiring in 2003. She transitioned in 1991 and later led Engine 63 in Marina del Rey. In a 1999 interview with PBS, Kaemmerer said that some firefighters who knew her before she transitioned refused to work with her. Despite those hardships, she 'always had a good attitude,' said her widow, Janis Walworth. That's it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@ Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.
CBS News
04-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Swatting hoaxer admits to scheme targeting dozens of members of Congress and social media influencers
Thomasz Szabo was an invisible menace, according to federal prosecutors. His alleged targets: They are quite visible. Szabo, a Romanian national, has pleaded guilty to leading a scheme to target dozens of politicians and social media influencers with a wave of "swatting" attacks. According to court filings, Szabo began building a network of "swatters" in 2018 to unleash havoc on public figures in the United States. In a swatting hoax, a false emergency call is made to police to lure a SWAT team to a target's home. The swatting call often falsely claims a mass shooting or hostage situation is underway, so as to create an exceptionally large police response and raise the risk of a confrontation at the victim's home. According to the Justice Department, "Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect"—likely referring to Joe Biden. A plea agreement reviewed by CBS News said Szabo's co-conspirators also targeted at least 25 members of Congress or their families, six executive branch officials and Cabinet members, judges, members of the media and at least two dozen former government officials. He was extradited from Romania late last year and will be sentenced on federal conspiracy and threat charges in October. According to the court filings, Szabo's conspiracy sought to victimize targets with large audiences and social media followings, amplifying the impact of the attacks. "The defendant sought to target those who would react publicly to having been swatted." His plea agreement said Szabo's conspiracy would target "streamers" who were broadcasting or speaking to an audience online during the attacks. Among those who say they were targeted was a prolific conservative social media figure known as "Catturd," who posted earlier this week to his 3 million X followers, "This is the guy who swatted me the first three times." Szabo publicized his "swatting" activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior, court documents say. Prosecutors said, "One of (his) subordinates bragged to Szabo: 'I did 25+ swattings today," and, 'creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days." Szabo sought to find and inspire others to execute swattings, according to the Justice Department. Former Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary of Intelligence John Cohen told CBS News, "Increasingly, swatters are doing more than just incentivizing or inspiring attacks. We are seeing the posting of content that is intended to give people detailed instructions on how to carry out the activity." Cohen said the technology and techniques employed by swatters are becoming more sophisticated and potent. "If a swatting call involves reporting a fictitious active shooter event, they'll use artificial intelligence-generated sound effects depicting the sounds of gunfire. That's meant to give it credibility," Cohen said. In Szabo's case, prosecutors alleged he used an internet-based phone platform to execute some hoaxes, which could mask identifying information about Szabo or his co-conspirators. Although charging documents do not name which members of Congress were targeted and disrupted by Szabo or his co-conspirators, several lawmakers have publicly acknowledged being victims of recent swatting attacks across the country. In a 2023 case spotlighted by CBS News, then-Rep. Brandon Williams, a central New York Republican, said the swatting happened on Christmas Day at his home. Williams told CBS News, "I organized my family in the kitchen and told them to hang out and keep their hands visible," to avoid any confusion by officers when police arrived. Williams said the swatting attack put his family in danger. After the police came inside to confirm the call was a hoax, Williams said he began packing the deputies bags with his holiday cookies. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has publicly posted about a series of recent swatting incidents, including one on Christmas Day 2023, the same day Williams was targeted. Greene wrote on social media at the time, "I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here. My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn't have to deal with this." Two other high-profile swatting victims from December 2023: Special Counsel Jack Smith and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who prosecuted and oversaw one of the federal criminal cases against President Trump, respectively. Swatting has vexed law enforcement for years — wasting police resources and, in at least one 2017 case unrelated to Szabo, ending in a fatal police shooting. Authorities are also contending with a rise in threats against public officials — from lawmakers to judges and prosecutors — including an eerie and menacing trend in which judges are sent unsolicited pizza orders, indicating that some unknown person knows their personal address. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement about Szabo's guilty plea in federal court in Washington, D.C. "This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas," Bondi said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Romanian pleads guilty to swatting calls targeting former US president, lawmakers
A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to leading a years-long conspiracy targeting dozens of individuals — including members of Congress, places of worship, and a former United States president — with 'swatting' calls and bomb threats intended to provoke fear and solicit a police response. Thomasz Szabo, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats and false information regarding explosives. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. Federal prosecutors say Szabo was the leader of an online community that engaged in bomb threats and 'swatting' — a term that refers to making false reports of an ongoing threat of violence — since late 2020. He was extradited from Romania in November 2024, the DOJ said. 'This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source,' she continued. Szabo made numerous false reports to law enforcement, including in December 2020, when he threatened to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues and, in January 2021, when he threatened to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and to kill then-President-elect Biden, according to a DOJ press release. Members of Szabo's group then engaged in a 'spree of swatting and bomb threats' from Dec. 24, 2023, to early January 2024, the DOJ said. During that time, the group targeted at least 25 members of Congress or their family members; at least six officials who were, either then or previously, serving as a senior Executive Branch official, including multiple Cabinet-level officials; at least 13 senior federal law enforcement officials; and various members of the judiciary, according to the DOJ. The DOJ said the group also targeted at least 27 officials who were serving at the time, or who previously served, as state government officials or their family members; four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media. In recent years, political violence and 'swatting' incidents have been on the rise, in particular targeting members of Congress and other high-profile public figures. Local Georgia news outlets reported that among the officials targeted by Szabo are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Georgia State Sen. Clint Dixon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hill
Romanian pleads guilty to swatting calls targeting former US president, lawmakers
A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to leading a years-long conspiracy targeting dozens of individuals — including members of Congress, places of worship, and a former United States president — with 'swatting' calls and bomb threats intended to provoke fear and solicit a police response. Thomasz Szabo, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats and false information regarding explosives. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23. Federal prosecutors say Szabo was the leader of an online community that engaged in bomb threats and 'swatting' — a term that refers to making false reports of an ongoing threat of violence — since late 2020. He was extradited from Romania in November 2024, the DOJ said. 'This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source,' she continued. Szabo made numerous false reports to law enforcement, including in December 2020, when he threatened to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues and, in January 2021, when he threatened to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and to kill then-President-elect Biden, according to a DOJ press release. Members of Szabo's group then engaged in a 'spree of swatting and bomb threats' from Dec. 24, 2023, to early January 2024, the DOJ said. During that time, the group targeted at least 25 members of Congress or their family members; at least six officials who were, either then or previously, serving as a senior Executive Branch official, including multiple Cabinet-level officials; at least 13 senior federal law enforcement officials; and various members of the judiciary, according to the DOJ. The DOJ said the group also targeted at least 27 officials who were serving at the time, or who previously served, as state government officials or their family members; four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media. In recent years, political violence and 'swatting' incidents have been on the rise, in particular targeting members of Congress and other high-profile public figures. Local Georgia news outlets reported that among the officials targeted by Szabo are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Georgia State Sen. Clint Dixon.
Newsweek
03-06-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Romanian Man Pleads Guilty After 'Swatting' Marjorie Taylor Greene
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Romanian man has pleaded guilty in federal court to orchestrating a nationwide swatting campaign that included targeting Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Why It Matters "Swatting" is a dangerous criminal hoax that involves falsely reporting violent emergencies to prompt heavily armed police raids. The practice can lead to serious injuries—or even deaths—when law enforcement responds under the impression that lives are at risk. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a meeting of House Republicans in the Capitol Visitor Center on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a meeting of House Republicans in the Capitol Visitor Center on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP What To Know According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 26-year-old Thomasz Szabo admitted to leading a sprawling, coordinated effort to trigger armed police responses to homes, government offices, and religious institutions where no emergency existed. Szabo was first arrested in August 2024 alongside Nemanja Radovanovic from Serbia. The pair were accused of organizing swatting calls and plotting bomb threats dating as far back as December 2020. Two threats federal prosecutors highlighted were a December 2020 threat to commit mass shootings at New York City synagogues and a January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol. Szabo's campaign, carried out between December 2023 and January 2024 with the help of co-conspirators, affected at least 40 private citizens and 61 public officials across the country, including at least 25 members of Congress and their family members, multiple current or former senior members of the executive branch, members of the federal judiciary, religious leaders, and an unnamed former U.S. president. Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Georgia State Senator Clint Dixon were among those targeted. According to the indictment, Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because "we are not on any side." One of Szabo's highest-profile targets was Greene, a staunch supporter of President Trump. Greene, who has previously been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories—including one about "Jewish space lasers" causing wildfires—had already been a target of swatting attempts prior to Szabo's involvement. In August 2022, Greene reported being swatted at her Georgia home and described the incident as "traumatizing." At the time, she condemned the attack and vowed accountability: "I don't care what political party you are — this is evil. This is not OK. And I will find out who swatted my house. And I will do everything in my power to bring them to justice." In 2023, Greene said she was swatted on Christmas Day at home with her family. "I was just swatted," Greene wrote on X at the time. "This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here." "My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn't have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!" Greene wrote. What People Are Saying Lauren Greene, Representative Greene's daughter, said on X: "This man has swatted my mom, @mtgreenee many times. He has swatted my family, my house included." Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas. This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source." Special Agent in Charge McCool: "This plea agreement is a testament to the extraordinary investigative work, tenacity, and global reach of the U.S. Secret Service and our partners. "This perpetrator hid behind a computer screen on the other side of the world believing he could commit these crimes with impunity. It was a gross miscalculation to underestimate our determination in pursuing and bringing to justice those who would commit these crimes, wherever they may be." Assistant Director in Charge Jensen of the Washington Field Office said: "Swatting is not just a prank, it is a serious violation of the law. Today's guilty plea makes clear those engaged these actions will face justice." What Happens Next Charges against Radovanovic remain pending, and online court records show he has not yet appeared in court in Washington, D.C. Szabo is set to be sentenced on October 23 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the nation's capital.
