On Friday, June 6, 2025, MyNewsLA.com reported that a federal judge has recused himself from the case involving Brian K. Williams, a former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, who is facing charges for allegedly reporting a false bomb threat to City Hall. Williams, 61, from Pasadena, was scheduled to plead guilty to a federal charge concerning threats related to fire and explosives, which could result in a prison sentence of up to ten years.
During a hearing on the same day, U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. announced his decision to step down from the case, citing his long-standing acquaintance with Williams. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed this information to City News Service. As a result of the judge’s recusal, a new judge will be appointed, and a new hearing date for Williams’ plea will be set within the next one to two weeks.
The charges against Williams stem from an incident that occurred on October 3, 2024, while he was serving as Deputy Mayor of Public Safety under Mayor Karen Bass. On that day, he allegedly called the chief of staff of the Los Angeles Police Department, falsely claiming to have received a bomb threat directed at City Hall from an unidentified caller.
Approximately ten minutes later, Williams sent a text message to Mayor Bass and other senior city officials, reporting that he had received a call from a man who expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s support of Israel and threatened to place a bomb in City Hall. He further assured them that LAPD officers would be dispatched to investigate the threat.
Williams continued to communicate with city officials, stating there was no immediate need to evacuate the building, but emphasized that they were taking the threat seriously due to the Jewish holidays. Following Williams’ report, LAPD officers conducted a thorough search of City Hall but found no suspicious packages or devices.
Investigators later discovered that the call Williams reported as a threat was actually a call he had made to himself using the Google Voice application on his personal phone. His plea agreement, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, states that he never intended to carry out any threat.
Williams, who quietly retired from city government in April 2025, had been placed on administrative leave following the FBI’s initiation of an investigation into the bomb threat. Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Mayor Bass, expressed shock and sadness over the allegations when they were first made public.
Source: MyNewsLA.com
