LA County CEO Fesia Davenport's $2 Million Confidential Payout Over Ballot Measure Claims

Confidential Settlement for LA County CEO

• 💰 Fesia Davenport, the CEO of LA County, received a confidential $2 million settlement funded by taxpayer money.
• 🤝 The settlement was unanimously approved by the County Board of Supervisors in closed session.
• 🔍 The existence of the settlement was revealed after public records requests, citing state transparency laws.

Allegations Over Ballot Measure Harm

• ⚖️ Davenport alleged she was harmed by a ballot measure approved last year that aimed to change the CEO position from appointed to elected.
• 📉 She claimed the measure would have reduced her retirement earnings and that the county's promotional language impugned her reputation.
• 🗣️ Despite acknowledging the ballot measure's intent was structural, she argued the county's wording was not specific enough, thus harming her character.

CEO's Unscheduled Leave and Payout Context

• 🗓️ This settlement comes as Davenport is on an unscheduled leave of absence expected to last into 2026.
• 💸 Davenport cited previous payouts to high-level county officials as precedent, though this appears to be the largest.
• 🤐 A key point of contention is that Davenport remains in her CEO position while being restricted by the agreement from disparaging county officials, a departure from typical settlement terms.