wehoville | Ed Buck, the well-known local Democratic Party donor under investigation
for possible involvement in the death from a drug overdose of Gemmel
Moore, a young African-American sex worker, has come out of hiding with a
verbal attack by his lawyer tonight on WeHo City Councilmember Lindsey
Horvath.
Buck’s attorney, Seymour Amster, appeared before the West Hollywood
City Council to say he is demanding an investigation of comments that
Horvath made about Buck. Amster apparently was referring to Horvath’s statement at the Aug. 21 City Council meeting
that she had contacted the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office and
the Sheriff’s Department and asked them to “take the necessary steps to
make it possible for anyone with information pertinent to this case to
safely come forward. I want all facts surrounding this case to be
known.”
Amster said that Horvath in making her comments did not disclose that
Buck opposed her election and had campaigned against her. He said he
wanted a grand jury to look at Horvath’s private emails and telephone
records to “determine if she has been involved in instigating, promoting
or financing the character attack on Mr. Buck.”
In her comments at the Aug. 21 City Council meeting, Horvath said: “I
am sad to hear the news of his tragic passing and I’m deeply disturbed
by the accounts in local reports. As you have heard, the case involves
someone well-known to this community and in LGBT and local political
circles. In full disclosure, I have not received contributions from that
individual but I want to state clearly that it shouldn’t matter who the
subject of an investigation is – an investigation must be conducted
thoroughly and without prejudice.”
“Our local (Sheriff’s) station needs to be a refuge for victims of
crime regardless of skin color or immigration status, regardless of
whether they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol, regardless of
the circumstances that brought them into the station – all victims of
crime need to be heard,” Horvath said. “And I ask that both LASD and the
L.A. County District Attorney’s office take the necessary steps to make
it possible for anyone with information pertinent to this case to
safely come forward. I want all facts surrounding this case to be
known.”
