A former Los Angeles Police Division commander who authorities mentioned tipped off CBS to a rape allegation towards the community’s high government is not going to face legal fees, with two LAPD detectives claiming division leaders undermined the investigation, in keeping with paperwork obtained by The Occasions.
The L.A. County district lawyer’s workplace determined in April it might not prosecute Cory Palka for warning CBS executives in 2017 {that a} girl had walked into the LAPD’s Hollywood station and accused then-Chief Government Les Moonves of sexual assault, in keeping with a doc offered to The Occasions in response to a public data request.
Though closely redacted, the declination memo consists of particulars and a timeline that match up with the findings of a 2022 New York state lawyer common’s workplace investigation that first revealed Palka’s relationship with Moonves. The TV government’s profession led to shame after dozens of ladies got here ahead to accuse him of sexual harassment and abuse in 2018.
Palka has not disputed that he improperly disclosed data to CBS, however denied any improper profit from his relationship with Moonves when reached for remark by The Occasions this week.
The previous LAPD chief who led the division through the investigation, Michel Moore, known as allegations the matter was not correctly dealt with “completely false.”
Representatives for CBS and Moonves declined to remark.
The Moonves affair drew vital consideration on the top of the #MeToo motion, however the destiny of Palka has remained a query mark within the years since. The newly uncovered paperwork make clear each the result of the investigation and tensions inside the police division over scrutinizing one in every of its personal.
Palka, a former station captain who retired as a commander in 2021, was sometimes called “Capt. Hollywood” and recognized for mingling with stars, scoring a bit half within the TV sequence “Bosch.”
In 2022, the New York state lawyer common’s workplace launched a report that exposed Palka left a voicemail for a CBS government in November 2017, shortly after an 81-year-old girl walked into his station and accused Moonves of sexually assaulting her on two events within the late Eighties.
“Someone walked within the station a few couple hours in the past and made allegations towards your boss relating to a sexual assault,” he mentioned in a voicemail message left for Ian Metrose, who was then CBS’ senior vice chairman for expertise relations, in keeping with studies made public by prosecutors. “It’s confidential, as you already know, however name me.”
For months, Palka gave Moonves and different CBS leaders inside details about the rape investigation and slipped the community a replica of the accuser’s report, in keeping with the New York lawyer common’s workplace. At one level, Palka and Moonves met in individual and the chief informed the captain he “wished the LAPD investigation closed.”
Finally, prosecutors couldn’t convey a rape case as a result of the statute of limitations had lengthy expired. The accuser, Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, was a tv growth government who beforehand informed The Occasions that Moonves assaulted her in 1986 and 1988. These dates match an alleged sufferer described within the L.A. County district lawyer’s workplace’s memo on Palka. Golden-Gottlieb died in 2022.
Former tv government Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb talks about alleged sexual abuse by the hands of Les Moonves within the legislation workplaces of Gloria Allred in L.A. on Sept. 11, 2018. Golden-Gottlieb, who died in 2022, labored with Moonves within the Eighties.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Occasions)
After listening to from Palka, high CBS executives “started investigating the sufferer’s private circumstances and that of her household,” in keeping with the New York lawyer common’s report, which was produced as a part of an investigation into the TV community’s leaders for promoting inventory and allegedly deceptive buyers whereas not disclosing the allegations towards Moonves.
The district lawyer’s workplace mentioned within the memo obtained by The Occasions that it declined to convey fees, partially, as a result of the statute of limitations on one of many potential fees towards Palka had run out.
The LAPD claimed it didn’t be taught of Palka’s alleged misconduct till 2022, however a whistleblower grievance filed in late 2023 by Det. Jason Turner alleges Moore knew of the difficulty a lot earlier and ignored it, permitting Palka to flee accountability.
Turner additionally alleged he discovered proof that Palka informed at the least two different LAPD workers about his relationship with Moonves, however mentioned he was barred from interviewing them, in keeping with the grievance, which was filed with the LAPD’s Workplace of the Inspector Common in November 2023.
“Chief Moore’s failure to provoke a grievance circa 2018-2021 towards Palka compromised the investigation and allowed Palka to keep away from legal fees,” Turner wrote within the grievance obtained by The Occasions.
The LAPD declined to remark. Moore unequivocally denied Turner’s allegations, however didn’t elaborate additional in response to questions in regards to the dealing with of the investigation. Moore introduced his retirement from the LAPD in January 2024.
“It’s completely baseless,” Moore mentioned of Turner’s declare, including that the Workplace of the Inspector Common had decided the grievance was unfounded.
A spokesperson for the inspector common’s workplace mentioned they might not focus on the standing of Turner’s grievance.
Michel Moore publicizes his retirement as LAPD chief at a press convention with Mayor Karen Bass at L.A. Metropolis Corridor on Jan. 12, 2024.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Occasions)
The ex-chief described the whistleblower grievance as a “distraction” from Palka’s “horrible actions.”
“It was a disservice. It lacked integrity. It tarnished the badge. It was incorrect,” Moore mentioned of Palka.
Turner declined a request to remark via his lawyer Thursday. .
In September 2023 — 10 months after the allegations towards Palka grew to become public — a unique LAPD inside affairs detective offered a case for L.A. County prosecutors to contemplate towards Palka, in keeping with a memo explaining the choice to say no fees. Prosecutors weighed fees of bribery, obstruction and disclosing data from a legal investigation for monetary acquire.
LAPD detectives “suspected Palka had presumably engaged in bribery,” in keeping with the doc. Whereas there was no proof Palka was paid straight for leaking the details about Moonves, he acquired $500 yearly to be a part of Moonves’ safety element on the Grammy Awards, in keeping with the New York lawyer common’s report.
After leaving the LAPD, Palka was employed as chief of safety to billionaire hedge fund supervisor Michael Milken, in keeping with public data and testimony given by Moonves in a deposition for a civil lawsuit reviewed by The Occasions. Palka continues to be employed by Milken at the moment, the data present.
Moonves mentioned within the deposition that he really helpful Palka for the job.
A separate grievance to the inspector common’s workplace obtained by The Occasions reveals one other inside affairs detective made allegations that echoed Turner’s. In that grievance, the second detective mentioned LAPD supervisors blocked makes an attempt to interview Moonves, Milken and Metrose, the CBS vice chairman that Palka purportedly first tipped off in regards to the rape case.
“It’s my perception that the refusal by our supervisors to allow us to interview these key people jeopardized the integrity of the investigation and was finished for improper motives,” wrote the detective, who requested anonymity, fearing skilled repercussions.
The April memo from L.A. County prosecutors mentioned there was substantial proof Palka had improperly disclosed data from a legal case, however they lacked proof that “Palka gained financially,” so fees of bribery and disclosure of confidential data for monetary acquire couldn’t be filed.
Requested whether or not Moonves serving to Palka land a high-level safety job can be thought of monetary acquire, a district lawyer’s workplace spokesman mentioned prosecutors “couldn’t show past an inexpensive doubt that Palka disclosed confidential data in return for monetary acquire, which is a necessary aspect of the crime of bribery.”
In an e-mail to The Occasions, Palka didn’t tackle questions in regards to the alleged bribery or the district lawyer’s charging resolution, however challenged the concept there was any hyperlink between Moonves’ suggestion for his present job and the leak of knowledge to CBS.
“My submit retirement employment was not thought of till I accomplished my profession and absolutely separated from the LAPD,” Palka mentioned.
Les Moonves, former chairman and CEO of CBS Company, poses on the premiere of the brand new tv sequence “Star Trek: Discovery” in Los Angeles on Sept. 19, 2017.
(Chris Pizzello / AP)
Caleb Mason, a associate at Brown White & Osborn LLP in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor, mentioned fees associated to Palka’s post-LAPD work can be difficult to show in courtroom.
“I feel numerous prosecutors would get anxious about submitting a case the place the idea was merely he had this relationship and after he retired the connection would get him a job,” Mason mentioned.
In his grievance to the inspector common, Turner mentioned division executives knew of the Hollywood captain’s hyperlinks to CBS a lot sooner than has been publicly reported.
CBS attorneys questioned Palka about his relationship with Moonves in 2018, whereas performing an audit linked to the rape allegations, in keeping with the detective’s grievance. At the moment, Palka demanded that the LAPD Command Officers Assn., the union that represents officers above the rank of captain, present him an lawyer, in keeping with the grievance.
“Chief Moore was the Chief on the time and needed to have been conscious that one [of] his Captains was being interviewed in his official capability by CBS attorneys for misconduct,” the grievance learn. “Nevertheless, Chief Moore didn’t provoke a grievance/inside investigation into Cory Palka.”
Muna Busilah, the lawyer who Turner claimed represented Palka, declined to say whether or not or not she was concerned within the case. She confirmed she did work with the Command Officers Assn. in 2018, and mentioned there was no requirement to formally notify Moore if a member of the command workers sought authorized counsel via the union.
Turner’s grievance accused Moore and LAPD Det. Jason De La Cova, an inside affairs division supervisor, of obstructing justice and dissuading an investigation. De La Cova was the detective who offered a case to the district lawyer’s workplace, in keeping with the declination memo.
“The Chief doesn’t need heads to roll,” De La Cova mentioned to Turner when blocking one in every of his requests to interview one other member of the LAPD, in keeping with the whistleblower grievance.
When reached on Wednesday, De La Cova declined to remark.
A district lawyer’s workplace spokesperson wouldn’t say if prosecutors have been conscious of the misconduct allegations levied towards Moore and De La Cova whereas reviewing Palka’s case. The allegations of obstruction made towards the ex-chief and De La Cova in Turner’s grievance have by no means been offered for consideration of legal fees, the spokesman mentioned.
De La Cova was beforehand named in one other grievance filed by Turner.
In 2023, Turner and one other detective alleged they have been ordered to launch an investigation into Mayor Karen Bass’ receipt of a scholarship from the College of Southern California at Moore’s behest. When each refused, the case was taken over by De La Cova.
Moore has repeatedly denied the allegations. Moore was later cleared of wrongdoing by the division’s inspector common, which concluded in June 2024 after a months-long probe that the detective’s claims have been “unfounded.”
