relationship

WASHINGTON — Tips provided to federal investigators about Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s schemes with young women and girls are “sensationalist” and “untrue,” the Justice Department said on Tuesday, after a new tranche of files released from the probe featured multiple references to the president.

The documents include a limousine driver reportedly overhearing Trump discussing a man named Jeffrey “abusing” a girl, and an alleged victim accusing Trump and Epstein of rape. It is unclear whether the FBI followed up on the tips. The alleged rape victim died from a gunshot wound to the head after reporting the incident.

Nowhere in the newly released files do federal law enforcement agents or prosecutors indicate that Trump was suspected of wrongdoing, or that Trump — whose friendship with Epstein lasted through the mid-2000s — was investigated himself.

But one unidentified federal prosecutor noted in a 2020 email that Trump had flown on Epstein’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported,” including over a time period when Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s top confidante who would ultimately be convicted on five federal counts of sex trafficking and abuse, was being investigated for criminal activity.

The Justice Department released an unusual statement unequivocally defending the president.

“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election,” the Justice Department statement read. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”

“Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims,” the department added.

The Justice Department files were released with heavy redactions after bipartisan lawmakers in Congress passed a new law compelling it to do so, despite Trump lobbying Republicans aggressively over the summer and fall to oppose the bill. The president ultimately signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law after the legislation passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

One newly released file containing a letter purportedly from Epstein — a notorious child sex offender who died in jail while awaiting federal trial on sex-trafficking charges — drew widespread attention online, but was held up by the Justice Department as an example of faulty or misleading information contained in the files.

The letter appeared to be sent by Epstein to Larry Nassar, another convicted sex offender, shortly before Epstein’s death. The letter’s author suggested that Nassar would learn after receiving the note that Epstein had “taken the ‘short route’ home,” possibly referring to his suicide. It was postmarked from Virginia on Aug. 13, 2019, despite Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail three days prior.

“Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls,” the letter reads. “When a young beauty walked by he loved to ‘grab snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair.”

The Justice Department said that the FBI had confirmed that the letter is “FAKE” after it made the rounds on Tuesday.

“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the department posted on social media. “Nevertheless, the DOJ will continue to release all material required by law.”

The department has faced bipartisan scrutiny since failing to release all of the Epstein files in its possession by Dec. 19, the legal deadline for it to do so, and for redacting material on the vast majority of the documents.

Justice Department officials said they were following the law by protecting victims with the redactions. The Epstein Files Transparency Act also directs the department not to redact images or references to prominent or political figures, and to provide an explanation for each and every redaction in writing.

The latest release, just days before the Christmas holiday, includes roughly 30,000 documents, the department said. Hundreds of thousands more are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a statement in response to the Tuesday release accusing the Justice Department of a “cover-up,” writing on social media, “the new DOJ documents raise serious questions about the relationship between Epstein and Donald Trump.”

Documents from Epstein’s private estate released by the oversight committee earlier this fall had already cast a spotlight on that relationship, revealing Epstein had written in emails to associates that Trump “knew about the girls.”

The latest documents release also includes an email from an individual identified as “A,” claiming to stay at Balmoral Castle, a royal residence in Scotland, asking Maxwell if she had found him “some new inappropriate friends.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has come under intense scrutiny over his ties to Epstein in recent years.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump said the continuing Epstein scandal amounts to a “distraction” from Republican successes, and expressed disapproval over the release of images in the files that reveal associates of Epstein.

“I believe they gave over 100,000 pages of documents, and there’s tremendous backlash,” Trump told reporters. “It’s an interesting question, because a lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruin a reputation of somebody. So a lot of people are very angry that this continues.”

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who wants to spend some time revisiting Rob Reiner’s indelible mark on pop culture.

For many of us, it was already that time of year when we pop in our DVD of “When Harry Met Sally…” or figure out which streaming service has it in its library (or digitally rent it, if none do), and passively recite every quotable moment until Harry’s breathless declaration of love on New Year’s Eve necessitated our full performance. It was a comfort watch in the best sense because of how joyous and hopeful it left so many of us, even cynics, feeling. This year, as the tradition now becomes layered with sadness following the tragic deaths of Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, there’s at least comfort in knowing all the Hollywood magic he brought to life (whether he was directing, or starring in a production) that was full of humanity, humor and heart, and accompanied us at different stages of our lives, can continue to do so. Members of our film team took a look at some of Reiner’s best films, many of which can be streamed. And TV critic Robert Lloyd reminded us of Reiner’s contributions to television, particularly through shows like “All in the Family” and “New Girl” (“Lettuce, tomato, lettuce, meat, meat, meat, cheese, lettuce” — iykyk).

But if it’s all too soon, we get it. Maybe our other streaming recommendations can provide an escape — one is a TV drama about a disillusioned Broadway director returning home to his amateur community theater, and the other is a mystery thriller with an unlikely duo teaming up to investigate the case of a missing girl.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, “Emily in Paris” actor Samuel Arnold stops by Guest Spot to tell us about the behind-the-scenes adventures of the show’s Italian-set fifth season.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Julianne Hough near the Dolby Theatre at the 97th Academy Awards earlier this year. The Oscars are moving to YouTube, sending shock waves through Hollywood.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

What the Oscars moving to YouTube means for broadcast TV: The Academy Awards will stream on YouTube beginning in 2029, ending a more than five-decade run on broadcast television and marking the show’s biggest distribution shift in its history.

How do Lifetime and Hallmark keep Christmas movies fresh? Pickleball and the NFL: For the two cable networks, tapping into niches, hobbies and sports teams allows them to invite new audiences in, while keeping loyal viewers satisfied with a break in formula.

Diversity and representation of women on streaming TV series in sharp decline, UCLA study shows: The latest edition of the Hollywood Diversity Report released Tuesday determined that the top shows in 2024 were less culturally diverse than the previous year.

Hollywood was built on movie stardom. AI is changing the rules: Synthetic performers are forcing Hollywood to rethink how fame works and who gets to claim it. Even as the technology races ahead, legal concerns are mounting.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Harry McNaughton as Charlie Summers, a disillusioned Broadway director returning home to his amateur community theatre in “Happiness.”

(Andi Crown Photography / PBS)

“Happiness” (PBS app, pbs.org)

What could be better, at this festive time of year, or any other time, than a backstage musical comedy set in an amateur theatrical company in New Zealand’s fifth-largest city? Harry McNaughton plays Charlie Summers, whose Broadway dream dies when he’s fired as the director of a “Cats” revival and, losing his work visa, returns home to New Zealand for what he hopes will be only a couple of days. Naturally, it turns out otherwise, with Charlie drawn reluctantly into the production of a new musical, “The Trojan Horse,” at the Pizazz theater, run by his mother (Rebecca Gibney) and stocked with a original twists on classic characters: a dictatorial director, the always-cast leading lady, a talented ingénue, a buff electrician with a great voice and the shy high school music teacher who wrote it, making themselves and their desires quickly felt. (There’s a feminist thrust to the plot.) The songs are tuneful and witty, the performances fun, the atmosphere charged but charming. Presented in six 20-minute episodes as part of “Masterpiece Theater.” — Robert Lloyd

Emma Thompson as private investigator Zoë Boehm and Ruth Wilson as art conservationist Sarah Trafford in “Down Cemetery Road.”

(Matt Towers / Apple TV)

“Down Cemetery Road” (Apple TV)

Nothing says the holidays like a gripping crime drama where everyone’s a suspect! Apple TV’s smart and unvarnished British series follows Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson), a private investigator who hasn’t the time or bandwidth for social niceties, shows of emotion or combing her hair. She’s thrown together with homemaker and art restorer Sarah Tucker (Ruth Wilson), a passive suburbanite who likes 4 Non Blondes.

Their sparring personalities create the undeniable chemistry that’s at the heart of this eight-part series, while the drama’s unexpected turn of events and fast pacing make it hard to hit pause. The two women are connected when a deadly residential explosion rocks Sarah’s neighborhood. A woman was killed, but her young daughter, who made it out alive, has mysteriously disappeared. The quest to find the girl pulls the odd-couple investigators into a complex and dangerous cover up by the Ministry of Defense, and they discover the explosion was in fact an orchestrated assassination.

Morwenna Banks’ adaptation of Mick Herron’s debut novel of the same name, “Down Cemetery Road” also features the PTSD-plagued Downey (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), the villainous Amos (Fehinti Balogun), bumbling agent Hamza Malik (Adeel Akhtar) and his sociopathic boss, C (Darren Boyd). But it’s Thompson’s gruff character who gets the best lines, such as the one she says to a potential client: “I don’t drink Prosecco and I don’t bond emotionally.” The show has already been renewed for a second season. — Lorraine Ali

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Samuel Arnold as Julien in Season 5 of “Emily in Paris.”

(Netflix)

Every office needs a deliciously snarky employee who is too fabulous to work, but still manages to grace the room with their presence to boost the vibe. In “Emily in Paris,” that person is Julien. The quippy, sharply dressed and gossip-loving character, played by Samuel Arnold, has been a bright spot in the series over its run. Initially the guy who liked to remind Emily she was une ringarde American, he’s softened his stance on his fish-out-of-water colleague. But as the Agence Grateau luxury marketing team ventures to Italy this season, which is now streaming, his side eye shifts focus to a new co-worker. Over email, Arnold shared what it was like shooting outside their usual setting and the animated series he returns to over and over. — Yvonne Villarreal

The Grateau team spent time in Italy this season. Some filming took place in Rome and Venice. What’s a memory or experience that stands out from filming there? Did any place there become a go-to spot for you when you weren’t shooting?

Rome was incredible, both on and off screen. One moment that really stands out is when Ashley Park and her choreographer, Carlye Tamaren, taught us one of Ashley’s dance routines. Everyone did so well — and Bruno Gouery was absolutely hilarious. When we weren’t filming, one of our favorite meeting spots was the rooftop at the Minerva Hotel. It’s stunning. In Venice, we would all gather in Bruno Gouery’s room and play a pirate dice game that Lucien Laviscount introduced us to. The city itself felt like a dream.

The series revolves around Emily and her fish-out-of-water experience of building a new life in Paris. How would this series look if it were titled “Julien in Paris”? Five seasons in, what would a slice of his life look like if you could pitch it to Darren Star?

If the show were called “Julien in Paris,” it probably wouldn’t be very exciting — Julien is a Parisian. He has Paris on lock. I like to think he sees himself as the prince of the city. Now, Julien in New York City — opening his own marketing firm there — that’s a different story. I can already feel the drama.

Julien is very discerning and could spot the games Genevieve was playing. How do you think he handled her, and the position he was in, knowing this secret could damage Emily and Mindy’s friendship?

I think Julien handled it pretty well. It’s not a great position to be in. When one friend hurts another, the right thing to do is to encourage the person at fault to do the right thing. And when someone like Genevieve — played by the absolutely lovely Thalia Besson — tries to stir up trouble, Julien definitely knows how to deal with that in the best possible way.

With all the love triangles (and squares), who would you, Samuel, pick for Emily — Gabriel or Marcello? And for Mindy — Nicolas or Alfie?

I don’t think I should be picking men for those women. What I can say is that they should follow their hearts and embrace whatever comes with that. Honestly, we should all try to do the same.

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

I recently watched “Safe House” [Netflix], with Lucien Laviscount as a badass action hero. The casting is great, the ending really catches you off guard, and Lucien does his own stunts — which makes it even more impressive.

What’s your go-to comfort watch — the movie or TV show you always come back to?

“Rick and Morty” [Hulu]. It never gets old. It’s funny, packed with pop-culture references — which I love — and the voice acting is just incredible.

WHEN boxer Jake Paul decided to propose to speed skater Jutta Leerdam on a tropical beach in St Lucia, he secretly flew her parents in as an extra, loving surprise.

In a touching social media video watched by millions of fans, the US influencer can be seen embracing his future in-laws, with his new fiancée jumping for joy in the stunning Caribbean background. But as the couple excitedly plan their wedding, we can reveal the ice queen’s parents Monique and Ruud Leerdam have deep concerns about their future son-in-law’s controversial past – and why their fears could leave the romance in tatters.

Our insider admits Monique and Ruud have had to adjust to their daughter’s newfound fame, which went stratospheric after she began dating her celebrity fiancé, one of the most recognisable social media personalities in the world.

And it’s the ‘celebrity circus’ surrounding the couple that they fear could distract their daughter from remaining at the very top of her sport.

The insider explained: “They were really surprised when she started dating Jake – she went from being well-known to a huge star overnight.

“Things really changed, she became a celebrity as well as an athlete, which is something they are not used to. 

It’s been a bit of an adjustment for them getting used to it all.

An Insider

“The last thing they want is for her to be distracted by him and for it to affect her career.”

“Jutta is incredibly close to her parents,” added the insider of the close-knit relations. 

“They are both sport stars as well and are a very ambitious, clean-cut family.”

UNLIKELY MATCH

At first glance Jake, 28, and Jutta, 26, are from completely different worlds. 

Born in Ohio, Jake is one of the most infamous YouTubers of his generation, the notorious prankster who became a Disney child star after he gained millions of followers on the now defunct Vine app, thanks to his pranks and sketches with his equally famous big brother Logan Paul. 

Today, the multi-millionaire is focused on his boxing career, achieving notable wins against legend Mike Tyson and former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.

British two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is lined up as Jake’s next opponent, in a lucrative bout which will take place in Miami tonight.

Born in the seaside city of ‘s-Gravenzande which sits in the south of The Netherlands, Jutta’s passion for sport became evident at a much younger age than her fiancé.

The sporting superstar began speed skating on the frozen tracks around her hometown when she was 11 and went on to specialise in long-track sprint events. 

Jutta won a speed skating silver medal in the 1,000m at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, a distance in which she holds the Dutch record, and she is a seven times World Champion in her sport. 

And with her celebrity on the rise thanks to her engagement to Jake, the talented star this week announced a deal with Nike, SKIMS, the collaboration between the sporting giant and Kim Kardashian.

“Being one of the best speed skaters in the world requires an intense training regimen,” the brand wrote to accompany a polished TikTok video announcing the deal, which sees Jutta follow in the prestigious footsteps of tennis legend Serena Williams.

LOVE AT FIRST DM

Jutta’s career was already riding high when Jake slid into her DMs back in 2023, asking her to appear on his podcast.

The rest was history and no-one was more surprised than the speed skater.

“I never, ever expected to date him, like never,” she said of the unlikely love story in the Netflix documentary series Countdown: Paul vs Tyson. 

“Of course, I didn’t know a lot about him.

“I could only scroll on his Instagram and form an opinion like the whole world does.”

Jake was equally smitten, calling Jutta a ‘superwoman’ and the ‘most amazing woman there is’. 

And by March this year, he was ready to propose to his ‘gamechanger’ with a diamond ring worth a cool $1 million.

The besotted couple are expected to tie the knot next summer, following the 2026 Winter Olympics and Jake is said to be close to Jutta’s parents, with her dad Ruud calling him ‘my son’ and happily declaring ‘we’re related now’ at the proposal. 

“I come from a very loving family, with lovely parents, a brother, a sister and a younger sister,” Jutta once told the Masters Expo website, going on to explain the origin of her name.  

“I owe my name to my father. He used to be very good at windsurfing. 

“In his day, the German Jutta Müller was the It girl of windsurfing; blonde, pretty, a winner… 

“Everyone was crazy about her. That’s why my father liked that name so much.”

Jutta’s celebrity has been in ascendance since she met the love of her life, something which has caused her parents concern.

“Jutta has so much potential and while they can see Jake adores her, they are just worried about her getting caught up in the circus of it all,” says our insider.

A TROUBLED PAST

To fully explain the reason for the family’s concern, a look back at Jake’s past is needed, for unlike the Leerdams, the influencer cannot be described as ‘clean-cut’.  

Influencer Jake has previously told how his own parents Greg Paul and Pam Stepnick, who are divorced, were ‘very strict’ with their children growing up, alleging his father physically abused him.  

Jake was 16 when he began posting on Vine back in 2013, with his success bagging him a role in the Disney Channel’s series Bizaardvark, which saw him play a character called Dirk who took dare requests.

The teenager, who moved to West Hollywood when he became famous, was fired when a local news station interviewed his less-than-impressed neighbours about his YouTube stunts that included starting a massive fire in his backyard and building a waterslide to shoot people into his pool. 

Sued for $2.5 million by the company who owned his house and fired from his TV gig, Jake turned to other business ventures where he quickly got himself into hot water once more.  

He launched a series of paid for videos called Edfluence, which promised to give fans the secret to becoming influencers, but this was quickly branded a scam for money by fellow creators. 

Brash and outspoken, Jake has previously gotten into trouble for making content branded too sexual and violent for his young followers and in 2015, he was caught using racial slurs in a freestyle rap at music festival Coachella. 

Previous relationships have also proved controversial for the influencer, including two allegedly faked for publicity marriages, the first to his ex Erika Costell and the second to YouTuber Tana Mongeau.

Another fake girlfriend, Alissa Violet, accused Jake of emotional and mental abuse and in April 2021 influencer Justine Paradise and model Railey Lollie both came forward with allegations of sexual assault against Jake, which he vehemently denied in full.

The seemingly unrepentant star threw a huge party in Calabasas, California, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, later branded the deadly virus a ‘hoax’ in an interview with The Daily Beast and urged his followers to back President Donald Trump when he stood for re-election. 

“It is a concern,” says our source, referring to Jutta’s parents’ take on Jake’s shocking past behaviour. 

“They didn’t know much about Jake but are now very much aware of his past.

“He doesn’t always have the best press and no parent wants their child associated with that.”

Jake could very easily end up being cancelled and they don’t want her going down that path

An Insider

The influencer insists his ice queen has ‘brought the best out of me as a human’ but even if Jake’s bad boy image is firmly behind him, high-profile couples are notorious for struggling to stay the distance.

Jake is based in a stunning $13 million mansion in Puerto Rico, with a private jet and several pricey motors at his disposal, while Jutta’s sports frequently takes her around the globe. 

Despite their hectic schedules, the influencer has spoken of his desire to start a family with his future wife on his BS Podcast and she calls her fiancé the ‘man with the best heart’ and ‘the most romantic guy in the world’. 

Here’s hoping the unlikely pair have found their happy ever after – and they finally get a unanimous decision.

CHARLOTTE Dawson has revealed that she is “stepping away” from her podcast, Naughty Corner.

It comes after a rocky few weeks for the TV personality, 33, following a split from her fiancé Matt Sarsfield and a subsequent reunion just days later.

Charlotte began her podcast in 2024 and often shares details from her family life on it.

Taking to Instagram, Charlotte shared a statement which read: “After an incredible year and more than a million downloads, we’ve decided it’s time to pause the podcast for now.

“With life being especially busy at the moment (kids, chaos and everything in between) this feels like the right moment to take a breather.”

She continued: “Naughty corner has been a place where I’ve shared my life and parenting journey, and it’s also been a place where your stories, whether beautiful, bonkers or everything in between, have lifted me up.

TEARFUL STAR

Emotional Olivia Attwood breaks down in tears as she moves out of marital home

PRICEY’S PALS

Katie Price unsteady on her feet at event as she’s helped by celebrity pals

“A huge thanks to my partner in crime Janine for being by my side every step of the way and to all the fab guests that have joined me this year!”

The statement ended: “Thank you for being here and for supporting the pod my darlings. CD x”

Earlier this month, The Sun revealed that Charlotte and her partner Matt had split after a blazing row on a night out, but reunited days later.

A friend of Charlotte told The Sun: “Charlotte is extremely apprehensive about marrying Matt.

“They’ve been engaged for five years but their relationship has been far from smooth sailing. Their latest explosive argument has planted further doubts in Charlotte’s mind.

“When they’re good, they’re good – but problems often arise when either one or both of them are out.

“They have blazing rows that, in the moment, make it seem impossible that they’ll make it down the aisle, but then they’ll kiss and make up.”

It’s the second time they’ve ended their nine-year relationship, having previously split in August last year after Charlotte found messages to other women on Matt’s phone.

The couple share three children; Noah, Jude and Gigi.

The Sun previously revealed how Charlotte’s family and friends have begged her to bin the shamed rugby star in the past.

A former Los Angeles Police Department commander who authorities said tipped off CBS to a rape allegation against the network’s top executive will not face criminal charges, with two LAPD detectives claiming department leaders undermined the investigation, according to documents obtained by The Times.

The L.A. County district attorney’s office decided in April it would not prosecute Cory Palka for warning CBS executives in 2017 that a woman had walked into the LAPD’s Hollywood station and accused then-Chief Executive Les Moonves of sexual assault, according to a document provided to The Times in response to a public records request.

Although heavily redacted, the declination memo includes details and a timeline that match up with the findings of a 2022 New York state attorney general’s office investigation that first revealed Palka’s relationship with Moonves. The TV executive’s career ended in disgrace after dozens of women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment and abuse in 2018.

Palka has not disputed that he improperly disclosed information to CBS, but denied any improper benefit from his relationship with Moonves when reached for comment by The Times this week.

The former LAPD chief who led the department during the investigation, Michel Moore, called allegations the matter was not properly handled “absolutely false.”

Representatives for CBS and Moonves declined to comment.

The Moonves affair drew significant attention at the height of the #MeToo movement, but the fate of Palka has remained a question mark in the years since. The newly uncovered documents shed light on both the outcome of the investigation and tensions within the police department over scrutinizing one of its own.

Palka, a former station captain who retired as a commander in 2021, was often referred to as “Capt. Hollywood” and known for mingling with stars, scoring a bit part in the TV series “Bosch.”

In 2022, the New York state attorney general’s office released a report that revealed Palka left a voicemail for a CBS executive in November 2017, shortly after an 81-year-old woman walked into his station and accused Moonves of sexually assaulting her on two occasions in the late 1980s.

“Somebody walked in the station about a couple hours ago and made allegations against your boss regarding a sexual assault,” he said in a voicemail message left for Ian Metrose, who was then CBS’ senior vice president for talent relations, according to reports made public by prosecutors. “It’s confidential, as you know, but call me.”

For months, Palka gave Moonves and other CBS leaders inside information about the rape investigation and slipped the network a copy of the accuser’s report, according to the New York attorney general’s office. At one point, Palka and Moonves met in person and the executive told the captain he “wanted the LAPD investigation closed.”

Ultimately, prosecutors could not bring a rape case because the statute of limitations had long expired. The accuser, Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, was a television development executive who previously told The Times that Moonves assaulted her in 1986 and 1988. Those dates match an alleged victim described in the L.A. County district attorney’s office’s memo on Palka. Golden-Gottlieb died in 2022.

Former television executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb talks about alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Les Moonves in the law offices of Gloria Allred in L.A. on Sept. 11, 2018. Golden-Gottlieb, who died in 2022, worked with Moonves in the 1980s.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

After hearing from Palka, top CBS executives “began investigating the victim’s personal circumstances and that of her family,” according to the New York attorney general’s report, which was produced as part of an investigation into the TV network’s leaders for selling stock and allegedly misleading investors while not disclosing the allegations against Moonves.

The district attorney’s office said in the memo obtained by The Times that it declined to bring charges, in part, because the statute of limitations on one of the potential charges against Palka had run out.

The LAPD claimed it didn’t learn of Palka’s alleged misconduct until 2022, but a whistleblower complaint filed in late 2023 by Det. Jason Turner alleges Moore knew of the issue much earlier and ignored it, allowing Palka to escape accountability.

Turner also alleged he found evidence that Palka told at least two other LAPD employees about his relationship with Moonves, but said he was barred from interviewing them, according to the complaint, which was filed with the LAPD’s Office of the Inspector General in November 2023.

“Chief Moore’s failure to initiate a complaint circa 2018-2021 against Palka compromised the investigation and allowed Palka to avoid criminal charges,” Turner wrote in the complaint obtained by The Times.

The LAPD declined to comment. Moore unequivocally denied Turner’s allegations, but did not elaborate further in response to questions about the handling of the investigation. Moore announced his retirement from the LAPD in January 2024.

“It is absolutely baseless,” Moore said of Turner’s claim, adding that the Office of the Inspector General had determined the complaint was unfounded.

A spokesperson for the inspector general’s office said they could not discuss the status of Turner’s complaint.

Michel Moore announces his retirement as LAPD chief at a press conference with Mayor Karen Bass at L.A. City Hall on Jan. 12, 2024.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The ex-chief described the whistleblower complaint as a “distraction” from Palka’s “terrible actions.”

“It was a disservice. It lacked integrity. It tarnished the badge. It was wrong,” Moore said of Palka.

Turner declined a request to comment through his lawyer Thursday. .

In September 2023 — 10 months after the allegations against Palka became public — a different LAPD internal affairs detective presented a case for L.A. County prosecutors to consider against Palka, according to a memo explaining the decision to decline charges. Prosecutors weighed charges of bribery, obstruction and disclosing information from a criminal investigation for financial gain.

LAPD detectives “suspected Palka had possibly engaged in bribery,” according to the document. While there was no evidence Palka was paid directly for leaking the information about Moonves, he received $500 annually to be part of Moonves’ security detail at the Grammy Awards, according to the New York attorney general’s report.

After leaving the LAPD, Palka was hired as chief of security to billionaire hedge fund manager Michael Milken, according to public records and testimony given by Moonves in a deposition for a civil lawsuit reviewed by The Times. Palka is still employed by Milken today, the records show.

Moonves said in the deposition that he recommended Palka for the job.

A separate complaint to the inspector general’s office obtained by The Times shows another internal affairs detective made allegations that echoed Turner’s. In that complaint, the second detective said LAPD supervisors blocked attempts to interview Moonves, Milken and Metrose, the CBS vice president that Palka purportedly first tipped off about the rape case.

“It is my belief that the refusal by our supervisors to permit us to interview these key individuals jeopardized the integrity of the investigation and was done for improper motives,” wrote the detective, who requested anonymity, fearing professional repercussions.

The April memo from L.A. County prosecutors said there was substantial evidence Palka had improperly disclosed information from a criminal case, but they lacked proof that “Palka gained financially,” so charges of bribery and disclosure of confidential information for financial gain could not be filed.

Asked whether Moonves helping Palka land a high-level security job would be considered financial gain, a district attorney’s office spokesman said prosecutors “could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Palka disclosed confidential information in return for financial gain, which is an essential element of the crime of bribery.”

In an email to The Times, Palka did not address questions about the alleged bribery or the district attorney’s charging decision, but challenged the idea that there was any link between Moonves’ recommendation for his current job and the leak of information to CBS.

“My post retirement employment was not considered until I completed my career and fully separated from the LAPD,” Palka said.

Les Moonves, former chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation, poses at the premiere of the new television series “Star Trek: Discovery” in Los Angeles on Sept. 19, 2017.

(Chris Pizzello / AP)

Caleb Mason, a partner at Brown White & Osborn LLP in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor, said charges related to Palka’s post-LAPD work would be challenging to prove in court.

“I think a lot of prosecutors would get anxious about filing a case where the theory was simply he had this relationship and after he retired the relationship would get him a job,” Mason said.

In his complaint to the inspector general, Turner said department executives knew of the Hollywood captain’s links to CBS much earlier than has been publicly reported.

CBS attorneys questioned Palka about his relationship with Moonves in 2018, while performing an audit connected to the rape allegations, according to the detective’s complaint. At that time, Palka demanded that the LAPD Command Officers Assn., the union that represents officers above the rank of captain, provide him an attorney, according to the complaint.

“Chief Moore was the Chief at the time and had to have been aware that one [of] his Captains was being interviewed in his official capacity by CBS attorneys for misconduct,” the complaint read. “However, Chief Moore did not initiate a complaint/internal investigation into Cory Palka.”

Muna Busilah, the attorney who Turner claimed represented Palka, declined to say whether or not she was involved in the case. She confirmed she did work with the Command Officers Assn. in 2018, and said there was no requirement to formally notify Moore if a member of the command staff sought legal counsel through the union.

Turner’s complaint accused Moore and LAPD Det. Jason De La Cova, an internal affairs division supervisor, of obstructing justice and dissuading an investigation. De La Cova was the detective who presented a case to the district attorney’s office, according to the declination memo.

“The Chief doesn’t want heads to roll,” De La Cova said to Turner when blocking one of his requests to interview another member of the LAPD, according to the whistleblower complaint.

When reached on Wednesday, De La Cova declined to comment.

A district attorney’s office spokesperson would not say if prosecutors were aware of the misconduct allegations levied against Moore and De La Cova while reviewing Palka’s case. The allegations of obstruction made against the ex-chief and De La Cova in Turner’s complaint have never been presented for consideration of criminal charges, the spokesman said.

De La Cova was previously named in another complaint filed by Tuner.

In 2023, Turner and another detective alleged they were ordered to launch an investigation into Mayor Karen Bass’ receipt of a scholarship from the University of Southern California at Moore’s behest. When both refused, the case was taken over by De La Cova.

Moore has repeatedly denied the allegations. Moore was later cleared of wrongdoing by the department’s inspector general, which concluded in June 2024 after a months-long probe that the detective’s claims were “unfounded.”

Michigan has fired head football coach Sherrone Moore with cause after a university investigation found “credible evidence” he had “engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” the school announced Wednesday.

“This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement, “and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

Moore started at Michigan in 2018 as tight ends coach and worked his way up to offensive coordinator. He was named head coach in January 2024, weeks after the Wolverines won the College Football Playoff national championship, after Jim Harbaugh left to become coach of the Chargers.

The Wolverines went 8-5 in Sherrone’s first season, including a win over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and 9-3 this season, earning a spot in the Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31.

Associate head coach Biff Poggi has been named interim head coach. Poggi also served as interim coach for two games in 2025 while Sherrone was suspended after an NCAA investigation into Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal.