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A one-time confidant of L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has decided to challenge him in next year’s election. Eliezer Vera, who was promoted by Villanueva to the position of chief, said his boss’s failure to get along with people has damaged the department.
“Unfortunately, at the present time, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has developed a reputation for contributing to contention during trying times,” Vera said in a statement. Vera said he wants to “restore confidence in the Office of the Sheriff” by partnering with the Board of Supervisors and collaborating with oversight agencies.
Since taking office in December of 2018, Villanueva has clashed with the board, the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission, and the Inspector General. Vera played an important role in one dispute over the re-hiring of Carl Mandoyan, who had been fired by then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell over allegations of domestic abuse and lying.
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A senior Los Angeles County Sheriff’s official announced Wednesday he will run for sheriff in next year’s election, becoming an early challenger to Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Chief Eliezer Vera said he decided to try to unseat his boss in order to bring a level of stability to a Sheriff’s Department that he said has been roiled by Villanueva’s clashes with other elected officials and oversight bodies.
“Unfortunately what we’re seeing out of the current sheriff is that pretty much whenever an elected official, or most people in a position of power, have a difference of opinion with him, what he has shown is complete disdain and disregard, and that is very problematic,” Vera said. “I can’t imagine a worse message to send to law enforcement officers.”