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Thursday, January 29-February 04, 2026
Newsom, Bonta call for local investigations of potential crimes by federal agents
VOL. 17, 15,
CEO of homeless nonprofit charged with defrauding LA agency By Joe Taglieri
By Joe Taglieri
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ov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday reminded state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate potential crimes committed by federal agents. According to the Governor's Office, the announcement came amid the federal government’s refusal to cooperate with state and local investigations of two recent shooting deaths in Minnesota involving federal officers. On New Year's Eve, 43-year-old Keith Porter was shot and killed in the San Fernando Valley by a federal immigration agent. Federal and state law enforcement have traditionally collaborated on investigations that result in both federal and state criminal charges, with a presumption that neither law enforcement agency will obstruct the other’s investigations or thwart the objective pursuit of justice, state officials said. But the federal government’s response to the recent deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and the federal government’s conduct in other recent cases, make clear that the Trump administration not only will not investigate such incidents
joet@beaconmedianews.com
joet@beaconmedianews.com
Gov. Gavin Newsom, at left, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. | Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office
but will attempt to thwart other agencies from doing so, according to Newsom and Bonta. The California Department of Justice is prepared to support state and local law enforcement officers "to assert their rights to access potential crime scenes and evidence relevant to an active
investigation of potential state law crimes," including petitioning state and federal courts for "immediate emergency injunctive relief," as was the case in Minnesota. “Trump Administration officials have repeatedly
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lied to the American people. Given what has happened in Minnesota, we cannot outsource our fundamental duty to protect Californians by simply accepting federal narratives," Newsom said in a statement. "Especially when a fatal shooting occurs, no one should be allowed to rush in, seize evidence, and control the narrative before state and local law enforcement have lawful access. Concerns that the federal government was doing exactly that in obstructing Minnesota state and local law enforcement investigations into the tragic killing of a 37-year old VA nurse prompted a Trumpappointed judge to order the Trump Administration not to destroy evidence relevant to the investigation." The governor aded that California "local and state law enforcement are the front line for ensuring due process and public trust. Every state and local agency must remember its role, exercise its full authority, and always ensure the protection of the people of this state. Transparency isn’t a talking point; it’s a legal and moral requirement.” Bonta noted his agency's
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| Photo courtesy of Nick Youngson/Pix4free.org (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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he CEO of a nonprofit organization was arrested Friday on charges of defrauding the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority of millions of dollars, county and federal prosecutors said. Abundant Blessings CEO Alexander Soofer allegedly used $2 million of a total of $5 million in allegedly illegal funds toward his own properties or was accounted for through fraudulent invoices between 2022 and 2024, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office. He was released from county custody on a $610,000 bond, and a court appearance is set for Tuesday in downtown See Fraud Page 28
LA, according to jail records. On Friday, federal authorities took Soofer, 42, into custody and charged him with fraudulently obtaining $23 million in public funds intended to address homelessness and pocketing at least $10 million, including using $7 million to buy a house in Westwood, $125,000 for a Range Rover vehicle, private school tuition for his children, private jet travel and stays at luxury resorts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. “Self-dealing government funds intended for food and housing for homeless residents of LA County, includ-