L.A. County officials want to put $2.7 million toward beefing up the team of people investigating fraud within a deluge of recent sex abuse lawsuits, suggesting a broadening probe at the district attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
The funding allocation, part of the county\u2019s $48.8-billion budget proposal unveiled Monday, would bring on 10 new people to the small team prosecuting alleged fraud within the county\u2019s historic $4-billion sex abuse settlement. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced the probe<\/a> last November following a Times investigation that found nine people who said they were paid to sue<\/a>.<\/p>\n The county has agreed to pay billions to settle more than 11,000 claims of sex abuse in juvenile halls and foster homes, a flood of lawsuits spurred by a 2020 law changing the statute of limitations. Since those settlements, more than 5,000 new lawsuits have been filed with an average of 150 new claims coming in per month, according to the county, raising the prospect of future costly payouts.<\/p>\n Acting Chief Executive Joseph Nicchitta said Monday the new filings would continue to be an \u201canchor\u201d around the county\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is something that\u2019s going to weigh on us going forward,\u201d he said at a news conference announcing the new spending plan.<\/p>\n Nicchitta made a pitch for legislative change, noting the county was looking to Sacramento to \u201celiminate loopholes allowing abusive practices by attorneys that inject weak and potentially fraudulent claims into settlement pools.\u201d <\/p>\n The push by the county<\/a> to change the law has been hotly criticized by some advocates who accuse government officials of trampling on victims\u2019 rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThese reforms that we are seeking are anti-fraud,\u201d said Nicchitta. \u201cThey are not anti-survivor.\u201d<\/p>\n The payouts are yet another cloud looming over the budget proposal, along with rising labor costs and federal funding cuts. The recommended budget represents a 7% decrease in spending compared to the current plan. But Nicchitta said Monday it wasn\u2019t all doom and gloom, with the county managing to stave off layoffs and program cut<\/p>\n The upcoming budget proposal, he said, represented the calm before the next big wave of potential rollbacks.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember, we\u2019re in the eye of the hurricane,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n