Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's press office has reportedly been using disappearing messages on WhatsApp, a practice that could conflict with city regulations requiring record retention. Sources told the Los Angeles Times that the office utilizes WhatsApp messages that automatically delete every 24 hours. This method of communication raises questions about the transparency of the administration, especially as it has managed the city's response to various crises.
City code mandates that records be kept for at least two years. The use of auto-deleting messages may hinder public access to information through public records requests. The mayor's office has declined to comment on the use of these disappearing messages.
This practice brings renewed scrutiny to Bass's media team, which has also faced questions about former spokesperson Yusef Robb's continued presence on multiple WhatsApp group channels. Robb, who is now employed by the same company that owns the Boyle Heights warehouse, reportedly remained an informal advisor to Bass, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Mayor Bass herself has previously faced scrutiny over the use of disappearing messages. Following the Palisades fire, media outlets filed records requests for text messages from Bass. At the time, her counsel informed the Times that the mayor's phone was set not to save text messages and argued that such messages were "ephemeral types of electronic communication" not subject to retention requirements. Despite these arguments, messages were eventually recovered and released. Following a lawsuit related to deleted messages, the city's attorneys maintained that retaining messages for two years was impractical and argued that such a requirement would intrude upon employees' personal spheres in a manner potentially violating constitutional rights.