Nithya Raman denies rumors of appointing George Gascón as LAPD chief

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has denied rumors that she intends to appoint former District Attorney George Gascón as the head of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) if elected. During a televised appearance on NBC, Raman stated, “No, no. I don’t know where the rumors are coming from. I don’t know him personally.”

This response follows a previous flat denial given to The California Post regarding Gascón. Speculation has circulated within City Hall and among law enforcement circles that Gascón could potentially replace current LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Gascón, who previously served as Los Angeles County District Attorney, was rejected by voters in 2024.

In addition to the Gascón speculation, Raman’s campaign has faced scrutiny over a previously deleted social media video that featured Chief McDonnell’s face marked with a red X and the text “Only you can stop fascist liars.” While her campaign claimed the video was intended to target ICE and the Trump administration rather than McDonnell, the incident has added to the political pressure surrounding her candidacy. Raman has stated that replacing the police chief is not a priority for her first 100 days in office, focusing instead on restoring trust between law enforcement and the public.