LAPD Chief Michel Moore said he personally apologized for the leak of a crime victim’s name and confidential information, that was allegedly part of a scheme to conceal a sexual assault accusation made against former CBS network president Les Moonves.
“I met with a number of advocacy groups dedicated to protecting victims of sexual assaults, first to apologize for this breach of trust,” Moore said.
“Second, during that hour-long meeting, to talk about the path going forward.”
Moore said the department is conducting a wide-ranging internal investigation of the leak that began in 2017, when a woman made a police report at the LAPD Hollywood station alleging she’d been assaulted by Moonves in 1986, an accusation Moonves has denied.
“I am beyond outraged,” Police Commission president William Briggs said at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting Tuesday, of the leak.
“This is a stunning example what some refer to as old-time cronyism, that goes to the heart of corruption,” Briggs said.
Last week the department publicly identified former Hollywood station captain Cory Palka as the person who shared confidential investigative information with Moonves and other CBS executives.
The revelations became public when the New York state Attorney General announced that it had reached a legal settlement with Moonves and CBS, over allegations the cover-up of the Los Angeles sexual assault accusation amounted to an insider trading violation, as concealing the information from investors and the public might have shielded CBS’s stock price and Moonves’ reputation.
The LAPD confirmed this week New York prosecutors had amassed a large volume of records from CBS during its investigation, including emails, text messages, documents, and audio recordings.
Palka retired in March, 2021 at the rank of commander, and when reached by phone last week denied knowledge of the investigation or that he had been identified as the leaker.
The LAPD internal investigation, which will be monitored by the Board of Police Commissioner’s independent investigation unit, will also look beyond Palka for any other officers or detectives who might have had a role in sharing confidential information.
On Tuesday the Police Commission asked for a report on whether the Department was aware of officers’ off-duty employment that could represent potential conflicts of interests with the subjects of criminal investigations.
The New York settlement documents said Palka had worked for Moonves between 2008 and 2014 as a security guard, and NBC obtained video of Palka accompanying Moonves and his wife Julie Chen as they arrived for the 2012 Grammy awards.
Many LAPD officers work off-duty security jobs for celebrities and other influential individuals, as officers are permitted to carry their concealed guns and act as armed protection.
The LAPD requires officers to obtain work permits prior to taking the assignments, but because they’re often employed by a security company as a go-between, it’s unlikely the department is aware of who the officers are actually working-for, said a senior official at headquarters.
CBS said in a statement last week it was pleased to have resolved the investigation with the New York Attorney General without admitting wrongdoing.
“The matter involved alleged misconduct by CBS’s former CEO, who was terminated for cause in 2018, and does not relate in any way to the current company,” the statement said.
The New York AG said CBS and Moonves had agreed to pay $30.5-million to settle the case.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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