Each week, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore provides a summary of newly issued Executive Orders and other significant Presidential and federal actions that have a foreseeable impact on governance, compliance, and operational policies for California employers. The summaries below outline the key provisions of each action, along with our brief analysis of their potential implications for municipal agencies, school districts, private schools, and nonprofits.
Executive Action: U.S. Attorney Establishes Task Force Aimed at Investigating Potential Fraud Involving Homeless Funds in Southern California (April 8, 2025)
Bill Essayli, the new U.S. attorney for Los Angeles and surrounding areas, announced the establishment of a Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force to investigate potential misuse of federal funds intended to alleviate homelessness in Southern California. While the Task Force will investigate seven counties, the announcement specifically named Los Angeles County, where a recent court-ordered audit recently found poor transparency and management within the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
The Task Force will “prioritize a review of federal, state, and local programs receiving federal grants and funding,” but it will also investigate “theft of private donations intended to provide support and services for the homeless population.”
The counties in the jurisdiction of the Task Force are Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The activities of the Task Force may impact federal funding to these counties and nonprofits operating in those counties, including but not limited to funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.