It’s a joy to be there.
On Wednesday, Alex Bastian, the “Special Advisor” for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced on LinkedIn that he would be moving on:
It’s time to announce! After more than 12 years of public service in both the Los Angeles and San Francisco District Attorney offices – having advanced public safety both in the courtroom and through reform efforts – I’m excited to announce that I have accepted the position of becoming the President and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco! The Hotel Council is a representative of the hotel and wider tourism industries, which have been severely affected and hit by the pandemic. I’m so excited to join the Hotel Council at this pivotal moment in history. San Francisco is a beautiful city. I was raised here and know the beauty of it. This city will once more be one of the most popular tourist spots in the world, and that is something I can attest to.
Exactly a year and three months after taking the job, Gascón’s consigliere is jumping ship.
In March of 2021, Alex Bastian had been assistant district attorney and deputy chief of staff for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. When his old boss George Gascón, now the Los Angeles County District Attorney called, Bastian came running.
Bastian, who arrived in Los Angeles with much pomp and grandeur, created an entirely new method of communications to deal with the Los Angeles press corps. It also upset veteran journalists.
Steve Gregory, a KFI reporter was unimpressed:
Yesterday, at Gascón’s 100 Days in Office online press conference, Gregory let it be known that all media questions were being filtered through Gascón’s newest addition to his executive team: Alex Bastian.
Gregory appeared on KFI’s John & Ken Show and reported on this unorthodox methodology in handling the press. Now, correspondents must send Bastian a text message with any questions. Bastian will either allow them to be asked or ignore them tacitly.
“They’re going to school us L.A. press people on how to do media,” Gregory surmised.
Bastian’s communication methods succeeded as well as Gascón’s special directives. Bastian instead spent most of the year trying to answer (and dodge) questions about the embattled Woke D.A.’s failed policies. Now with news that the Recall George Gascón organizers have reached their unverified signature goal ahead of the July 6 deadline (and plan to collect more), Bastian may well have realized he is fighting a losing PR battle.
Last year, misinformation and gaslighting were common.
Jennifer Van Laar, Managing Editor reported that Bastian attempted to justify why Bruce Davis was paroled for murder. There wasn’t a DDA there to represent the families.
When asked for comment about the Davis parole hearing and the family members’ concerns, Gascon’s spokesman, Alex Bastian, said that office policy is to “continue to provide a victims advocate to support family members” who still choose to attend the parole hearings even though the DA’s office is on record supporting the grant of parole. Bastian, how does this help? The victims advocate can’t testify or introduce evidence. Still, Martley disputes Bastian’s contention and says she was never informed about having a victims advocate.
Bastian told Yahoo News, “Bastian also said:
“The prosecutors’ role ends at sentencing. There’s been a tug of war between public safety versus equity. The DA believes you can do both.”
Bastian also tried to explain away Gascón’s questionable associations with BLM activists and their attorney, Jorge Gonzalez, that may have been behind Gascón dropping train wrecking charges against said activists.
So, Bastian leaving after more than 10 years of working closely with Gascón comes as no surprise. Gascón has been skating on thin ice since the Hannah Tubbs debacle, and RedState has reported on the tone-deaf responses from that gross error, from the woman and baby who were run over by a teenager who skirted parole, and most recently, the death of two El Monte Police officers murdered by a repeat felon gang member who was paroled because of Gascón’s directives.
LA DA – NEW @GeorgeGasconThe office releases a statement in this regard.
Their position is that placing a convicted felon gang member with a strike on his record on probation for possession of a gun by a felon was a “consistent” resolution at the time. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/o0Q0ycrRT5— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) June 16, 2022
Notice that Bastian is not returning to anyone’s district attorney’s office. With the recall of Chesa Boudin in San Francisco, and now Gascón under the guillotine, it makes sense that he wants to shift his career from law enforcement to sales and promotion. It is probably infinitely easier to spout happy gas about San Francisco’s comeback than it is trying to prop up and defend a leader on the fast track to being removed.
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