Payment to high-profile firm The Lede Company only revealed after LA Times reporting and public outcry
After days of public demand for transparency, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation reported it paid a public relations firm $65,000 after the Palisades Fire.
The Lede Company, which represents A-listers such as Rihanna and Reese Witherspoon as well as high-end clothing company Isabel Marant, was quietly paid to help shape a more positive narrative around the LAFD’s response to the deadly blaze, one of the costliest in U.S. history.
The funds used to pay for public relations came from the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which acts as the charitable arm of the LAFD. Since the Jan. 7, 2025, blaze that left 12 people dead and leveled thousands of homes and businesses from the Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu, the department has faced heavy criticism about its response to the fire. Critics point to the unprecedented wind conditions that were forecast days ahead of the conflagration, the lack of pre-deployment of fire crews in vulnerable areas, dry fire hydrants, the Santa Ynez Reservoir out of commission, and the Lachman fire on Jan. 1, that went unchecked for a week and is now thought to be the ignition point.
After the fire, the foundation appealed to the public to help its mission to support the LAFD with donations for vital equipment and programs that help the LAFD save lives and build resilient communities. According to the foundation’s report published last month, it allocated $42 million in donations to “critical priorities” but originally failed to mention monies paid to the Lede Company until the Los Angeles Times disclosed the controversy that charitable donations were used for a PR firm. After facing heavy scrutiny last week, the foundation’s president and chairman of the board of directors said since the LAFD’s communications director role was unfilled, the previous administration requested the funds to hire a consultant.
In a statement, the foundation wrote: “This is exactly how we always operate: fast, responsive, and in the service to the Department’s needs.” The statement, however, did not address whether the Lede Company played a role in the fire department’s action in watering down it’s after-action report on the Palisades Fire that downplayed the department’s preparation for the fire and what critics say was a poor response.
The LAFD has not answered questions about the scope of the PR firm’s work, but has made clear its policy for donations to the foundation.
“We have a clear policy wherein any donor can restrict a contribution to support a particular project or program,” the department stated. “One hundred percent of all restricted contributions go directly to support whatever project, program, or item the donor identifies. We are transparent because our supporters deserve nothing less — and because we are proud of the work you support.”
Former LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso threatened to pull his promised $5 million donation over a period of five years if the foundation did not disclose how much money was paid on public relations.