Dakota Smith covers City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. She is part of the team that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news for reporting on a leaked audio recording that upended City Hall politics. She joined the newsroom in 2016 and previously covered City Hall for the Los Angeles Daily News. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College and lives in Los Angeles.
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The clerk alleged in a complaint filed in August in Los Angeles Superior Court that he faced “egregious sexual harassment and predatory assault” at work.
Oct. 7, 2023
De León and Cedillo both portray the recording as an “October surprise” designed to inflict maximum damage on their reputations.
Oct. 7, 2023
The new head of L.A. Animal Services said the department, which has faced a crisis over staffing and its treatment of animals, continues to face staffing shortages.
Oct. 4, 2023
The ethics accusations filed against L.A. City Councilmember John Lee, related to a trip to Las Vegas in 2017, could complicate his 2024 re-election bid in the San Fernando Valley.
Oct. 3, 2023
L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price was criminally charged in June, and calls for his suspension followed. Months later, he remains on the job.
Sept. 30, 2023
U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. didn’t fully explain his reasoning for delaying sentencing for Paul Paradis, a former attorney, until Nov. 7.
Sept. 27, 2023
The L.A. City Council voted to approve Alex Johnson’s appointment to the Ethics Commission, amid concerns about potential conflicts.
Sept. 27, 2023
Nearly a dozen others have expressed interest in running for De León’s seat, which takes in all or part of downtown, Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Eagle Rock.
Sept. 20, 2023
The long-running federal investigation into the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and the Department of Water and Power is over. But many questions remain.
Sept. 20, 2023
City Controller Kenneth Mejia’s nominee to the City Ethics Commission was rejected. Will the City Council approve Alex Johnson, nominated by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson?
Sept. 16, 2023