From Conservative Brief:

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was backed by liberal billionaire George Soros during his run for office, launched a campaign on Friday to stop the recall effort against him. He blasted the effort as a “right-wing recall attempt” funded by “mega-donors” who supported former President Donald Trump.

“We need to be very clear about what this recall attempt is,” said Gascón in an email announcing the campaign. “It’s nothing short of a hyper-partisan effort – backed by Trump mega-donors – to overturn yet another free and fair election in this country.”

Los Angeles-based LAist covered the event, describing it as Gascón’s “first public rally against the recall” where he was joined by other leftists and Democrats including Black Lives Matter L.A. leader Melina Abdullah, county Supervisor Holly Mitchell, and L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin.

“Our criminal legal system is deeply embedded in the institution of slavery,” Gascón said, speaking to a crowd gathered outside the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. “We cannot walk away from that.”

“You must follow the money,” he said, echoing rhetoric posted on his website called Stand With Gascón, which he established to fight the recall. The page claims that the effort is being led by “Trump mega-donors, beleaguered Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, right-wing Republicans, police unions and other stalwart opponents to criminal justice reform.”

The website goes into detail about a big supporter of the recall was Georffrey Palmer, a major Los Angeles real estate developer who hosted a re-election fundraiser for Trump in 2019 and donated $2 million to a pro-Trump political action committee.Advertisement

The recall leader, Desiree Andrade, who is seeking justice for her murdered son, told KPCC that she was a registered Democrat who organized the effort because “this is far from a political issue.” She told the media that she wanted Gascón gone because he refused to seek the death penalty or even life without possibility of parole for her son’s killers.

Andrade is not alone in her efforts to get rid of Gascón. Seventeen city councils in L.A. County have issued “no confidence” votes in the Soros-backed prosecutor, most of which generally condemn his efforts to reduce prison sentences for violent offenders.

Whittier Daily News reported:

Two more Whittier-area cities are poised to cast a vote of no confidence in Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Both directed their respective staffers to bring back resolutions of no confidence for approve at future meetings. Norwalk City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday, June 15, while La Habra Heights’ City Council voted 3-2 on Monday, June 14.

Norwalk is expected to act in a special meeting on Tuesday, June 22, while La Habra Heights won’t return to the dais until July 12. Earlier on June 1, the city councils of San Gabriel and Temple City also approved votes of no confidence.

So far, 18 cities have had similar votes, including Arcadia, Azusa, Beverly Hills, Covina, Diamond Bar, Hidden Hills,  Lancaster, La Mirada, Manhattan, Palos Verdes Estates, Pico Rivera, Redondo Beach, Rosemead, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel, Santa Fe Springs, Temple City and Whittier.

To trigger the recall, organizers must collect 579,062 valid signatures from registered voters across L.A. County by October 27. If successful, voters will be able to hold a special election for a new candidate next year to go up against Gascón.

Gascón disagrees with his detractors, arguing that his policies are simply aimed at correcting systemic racism. He was elected in November 2020 and issued a set of directives to reform the criminal justice system.

The move was widely condemned by law enforcement groups, deputy district attorneys in his own office, and the families of victims impacted by violent crime. The outrage against Gascón’s directives, as well as his own unwillingness to charge violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law amid rising crime in the county, helped to kickstart the recall campaign.

Gascón initially announced that he would not be adding enhancements in cases involving child abuse, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. The backlash was enough for him to scale back his initial plans just 11 days after he took office, as reported by the Daily Wire.

This article first appeared on Conservative Brief.