A veteran Los Angeles County prosecutor scolded his boss Thursday, saying his progressive reforms and management style have alienated his colleagues and turned the nation’s largest district attorney’s office right into a “managerial dumpster fire.”
In a lengthy letter to District Attorney George Gascon and his top aides, prosecutor Mark Burnley aired various grievances on his last day with the office. Burnley said he has been with the DA’s office since 1999 and a prosecutor for 28 years.
“Until December 2020, I assumed I had one of the best job on this planet,” Burnley wrote, referring to when Gascon took office after unseating incumbent DA Jackie Lacey, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. “I’m consistently amazed by the expertise and knowledge of the DDAs on this office. They’re deeply devoted and have a panoramic amount of experience. It’s a shame you can not or is not going to recognize that.”
In his letter, Burnley said he was told by a member of Gascon’s transition team before he took office that there wouldn’t be any “dramatic” policy changes. The morning before he was sworn in because the county’s top prosecutor, Burnley was informed otherwise, he said.
“Lots of us hoped, like Mark Burnley, that George Gascon could run a government office. He made it clear, from the primary minute of his administration, that he couldn’t,” Eric Siddall, vp of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, told Fox News Digital in an announcement.
“Nothing has modified since then,” he added. “Gascon and his cronies have made Southwest Airlines’ executive team seem like a bunch of managerial geniuses. Dedicated public servants are leaving the office in record numbers. Interest in joining the office is at a historic low. And the people of Los Angeles are paying the worth. Burnley is correct: competence matters.”
Gascon has faced mounting criticism over his progressive criminal justice policies that some say enable criminals and fail to guard the rights of victims. Upon taking office, he issued various directives, a few of which have been scaled back. The policy changes include a ban on charging juvenile suspects as adults and never charging for criminal enhancements, amongst others.
He also repealed a long-held policy of notifying crime victims about upcoming parole hearings scheduled for those who harmed them or their family members in addition to barring a representative from the DA’s office from attending those hearings on behalf of victims.
In his letter, Burnley said he believes criminal justice reform is required, akin to alternative sentencing programs for certain defendants in addition to diversion programs for those convicted of misdemeanors and non-violent felonies.
“Fifteen minutes of basic legal research would have been good enough to switch the policies to evolve with the law,” Burnley said. In one Zoom meeting hosted by Gascon, Burnley said his boss “exhibited a staggering lack of prosecutorial experience and knowledge. For instance, you seemed completely unaware of how your policies would impact hate crime and financial crime prosecutions. The mixture of arrogance and inexperience was obvious.”
Along with how his office views criminal justice, Gascon has also been accused of retaliating against his own prosecutors who publicly criticize him and point to flaws in his policies.
“You will have also shattered the non-public and skilled lives of scores of people that decided to devote their legal educations to public service,” Burnley wrote.
Several veteran prosecutors, including John McKinney, who has won several high-profile cases and John Lewin, each from the Major Crimes Division, and Jason Lustig were moved to lower-level positions.
“Every thing he (Burnley) wrote was completely accurate and, unfortunately, completely true,” Lewin told Fox News Digital. “From day one, George Gascon went in there, he had no experience as a line prosecutor. He had no desire to guard the general public and he had little interest in attempting to implement his policies in an intelligent and responsible way.”
Lustig told Fox News Digital Burnley is a highly-regarded prosecutor who was completely right in his criticism.
“He’s capturing the sensation of George Gascon attempting to dismantle the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office,” he said. “He’s really attempting to burn it all the way down to the bottom.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gascon’s office.
Despite the backlash, Gascon has survived two recall efforts and has weathered criticism from crime victims, law enforcement heads, his fellow district attorneys and elected officials.
“Hopefully you’ll display more humility and fewer arrogance in the course of the remainder of your term,” Burnley said. “What have you ever learned from the 2 recall efforts? It takes courage and integrity to conduct an honest self-assessment; I doubt you’re as much as the duty.”