- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
LA City Attorney's Texts Scrutinized in McGinnis Lawsuit & Wider Records Concerns
Allegations of deleted communications raise transparency issues at City Hall
Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:05am
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A lawsuit brought by former Deputy City Attorney Michelle McGinnis has brought to light concerns over the handling and potential deletion of digital communications by LA City officials, including City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and a top deputy. This is part of a broader pattern of disappearing digital records, with practices like auto-deleting messages and manually deleting texts, raising questions about transparency and accountability in LA City government.
Why it matters
The lack of transparency around digital communications from city officials undermines public trust and hinders informed civic engagement. It raises concerns about the public's ability to access information about crucial decision-making processes at City Hall.
The details
McGinnis is seeking text messages between Feldstein Soto and Deputy City Attorney Denise Mills concerning her employment, but the city attorney produced zero texts while Mills provided only three. McGinnis's lawyer argues this "strains credulity" and suggests deliberate deletion or withholding of evidence. This isn't an isolated incident, as Mayor Karen Bass's text messages auto-delete after 30 days and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also auto-deletes messages, while City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson reportedly turned over zero texts, emails, or messages in response to a public records request.
- In December, subpoenas were served requesting the text messages.
- In January, Deputy City Attorney Denise Mills claims she performed a factory reset on her phone, after the subpoenas were served.
The players
Michelle McGinnis
A former Deputy City Attorney who is suing the city over her firing.
Hydee Feldstein Soto
The Los Angeles City Attorney.
Denise Mills
A Deputy City Attorney who claims to have performed a factory reset on her phone after receiving subpoenas.
Caleb Mason
The lawyer representing Michelle McGinnis in the lawsuit.
Karen Bass
The Mayor of Los Angeles whose text messages auto-delete after 30 days.
What they’re saying
“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”
— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.
