Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been appointed as the new vice mayor for public safety and has set up former FBI official Robert Clark as her top aide overseeing police and fire issues.
The news comes four months after Clark’s predecessor, Brian K. Williams, was placed on administrative leave after being accused of committing a bomb threat to city hall.
The Los Angeles Police Department has identified Williams as a possible cause of the bomb threat that took place last year before introducing the incident to the FBI due to his working relationship with Williams.
Speaking for stories from previous eras through his lawyer, Williams maintained his innocence strongly. FBI spokesman Laura Eimiller said on Monday that the matter was not charged and that the matter was still under investigation. Williams’ lawyer, Dmitry Gorin, did not respond immediately to the Times on Monday.
Williams remains on city pay, but he is “retired,” said bass spokesman Zach Saidl. Seidl didn’t respond when asked when Williams was planning to retire or if he was planning to stay on his salary. The city is fighting a budget shortage of around $1 billion.
In his new role, which began on Monday, Clark reaches out to help the city recover from the Palisade fire. He joined the administration when the bus promoted the decline in murder and shootings.
As a special agent for the FBI, Clark led anti-Gin efforts in Los Angeles.
“I’m not different from the many people I work with or the many people I’ve met in my community. I consider myself one of them,” Clark said in a 2014 video shared by the FBI.
Clark grew up in foster care in a world that was immersed in violence, gangs and drugs, he said. His father, the owner of a nightclub who worked in organized crime, was murdered at the age of 12.
His childhood in Youngstown, Ohio, “And I think you can say that I was able to get away.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Clark left the FBI in 2016. He later served as law enforcement consultant and director of the Public Safety Department for the City of Columbus, Ohio. On the 2017 CBS reality show “Hunted,” he was the commander of the Manhunt’s leading team.
Times staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.
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