L.A. County Sheriff Slams Commissioners Over Efforts to Fire Him

Last week after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors made public a proposal that could give them the power to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause, Sheriff Alex Villanueva's re-election campaign fired back, saying the supervisors have "no business" seeking such authority.

"The people of Los Angeles would be better served if the supervisors spent their time doing their jobs by reducing homelessness and improving healthcare, instead of trying to seize even more power," according to a statement from Villanueva's campaign.

"The sheriff is an elected position, just like the supervisors. Just as the sheriff has no business asking for power to fire the supervisors, the reverse is also true."

Villanueva's bid for a second term is headed for a November runoff against former Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna. They finished 1-2 in a nine-candidate field in the June primary, KFI reports.

The Republican National Committee issued a statement Friday blasting the proposal as "another prime example of how Democrats like to change the rules when they don't get their way."

If the motion is approved, county attorneys would draft the necessary paperwork to put the issue on the November ballot, then return to the board for a July 26 vote on whether to move forward.