\u201cThey looked at this opportunity to compensate these true victims of sex abuse as an opportunity to personally profit and engage in some of the most greedy and heinous conduct,\u201d Hochman said at a news conference Wednesday morning in the Hall of Justice downtown. \u201cWe are going to aggressively go after them.\u201d<\/p>\n
All nine plaintiffs had their cases filed by Downtown LA Law Group, a personal injury firm that represents roughly 2,700 people in the county settlement. The firm has denied wrongdoing. The Times could not reach the recruiters who made the alleged payments to plaintiffs for comment. <\/p>\n
Hochman indicated his investigation, still in its early stages, showed this was just a small fraction of the \u201csignificant number of fraudsters involved in these settlement claims.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hochman emphasized the inquiry would focus on those higher up the chain \u2014 lawyers, recruiters and medical practitioners who may have submitted fraudulent forms \u2014 and not the plaintiffs.<\/p>\n
Many of the people The Times spoke with who filed false claims were poor and in unstable housing. They said they desperately needed the cash promised by recruiters, which ranged from $20 to $200. All were flagged down outside county social services offices, where many were on their way to get food assistance and cash aid.<\/p>\n
Hochman said any person who contacted his office about filing a fraudulent claim would not have the statements haunt them in a criminal prosecution. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you provide us truthful information, complete information, any of the words that you use will not be used against you,\u201d said Hochman, adding the offer did not extend to attorneys or medical professionals. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that we offer lightly to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hochman said Downtown LA Law Group was one of the law firms they were focused on, but the probe was not limited to them. He said the investigation would touch anyone who helped fraudulent cases get filed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy to label that entire group as a group of fraudsters conspiring to defraud a settlement where the money should be going to legitimate sex abuse survivors and victims,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The law group has denied paying plaintiffs and said it only wants \u201cjustice for real victims\u201d of sexual abuse. The firm declined to comment further Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Shortly after The Times\u2019 investigation, the county supervisors voted to launch their own inquiry into possible misconduct by \u201clegal representatives\u201d involved in the lawsuits. The county set up a hotline for tips from the public, and moved to ban \u201cpredatory solicitation\u201d outside county social services offices. <\/p>\n
The supervisors also joined a chorus of voices \u2014 including California lawmakers, labor leaders and a powerful attorney trade group \u2014 calling<\/a> for the State Bar to investigate. The State Bar does not comment on potential investigations, but has previously said California law generally prohibits making payments to procure clients, a practice known as capping.<\/p>\n Downtown LA Law Group represents roughly 2,700 people suing the county. Hochman said the firm is one of several he\u2019s focused on. <\/p>\n (Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n A flood of sex abuse claims followed the passage of AB 218, a state law that gave victims of childhood sexual abuse a new window to sue that stretched far beyond the previous statute of limitations. The law, which went into effect in 2020, has led to thousands of lawsuits filed against California school districts, governments and religious institutions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n