Mayor Karen Bass's Press Team Uses Disappearing WhatsApp Messages, Raising Transparency Concerns
Mayor Karen Bass's press relations office in Los Angeles is under scrutiny for using WhatsApp messages that auto-delete every 24 hours. This practice potentially shields communications from public records requests, according to sources familiar with the office. The controversy intensified when it was revealed that Yusef Robb, an unpaid consultant who served as a spokesperson, continued to participate in WhatsApp group channels with mayoral staff even after taking a job with Lineage, a company involved in a recent fire incident. The Los Angeles Times has filed a public records request for all messages sent or received by Robb between June 1 and July 10, including those on WhatsApp. The city’s administrative code mandates that records be retained for at least two years, but the Bass administration has declined to comment on the use of disappearing messages. 
