This is one of the more maddening stories to come out of the dumpster fire of a state we call California.
The city of Santa Monica is essentially bankrupt.
Why? Because a city employee sexually abused 400 boys, and the city just had to pay out $400 million to his victims.
😡 Even more ashamed at my town of @santamonicacity California.
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) May 13, 2025
The city that prides itself on $2 MILLION (including land) free seaside condos for homeless is about to be bankrupt after paying $1 million each to ~400 men who were molested as boys by ONE city employee, whose… pic.twitter.com/o1SZi827CL
The entire post reads:
The city that prides itself on $2 MILLION (including land) free seaside condos for homeless is about to be bankrupt after paying $1 million each to ~400 men who were molested as boys by ONE city employee, whose crimes were covered up & ignored over nearly a decade.
This tiny, iconic community of just 90,000 people now has to sell city properties, close libraries, restrict city services & dramatically increase permit/utility fees to be able to function.
Homeless and criminals here come before little kids.
Despite this impending bankruptcy, city leaders refuse to end their homeless housing construction obsession or close their pricey DEI office.
Very sad to see such a great city fail due to the incompetence & corruption of a few individuals.
Just shameful.
Here's more from the New York Times:
In 2018, an anonymous tip led the authorities in California to Eric Uller, who for decades had volunteered at an after-school program associated with the Santa Monica Police Department. An investigation revealed Mr. Uller, 50, had molested at least four boys on the city’s watch.
Allegations from dozens of others soon emerged, dating to the 1980s and 1990s. Weeks after his arrest, Mr. Uller hanged himself in his apartment on the day he was scheduled to appear in court.
Seven years later, Santa Monica is still paying for his crimes. At last count, the bill had reached nearly $230 million.
That’s how much money the city has distributed to 229 plaintiffs who said they had been sexually assaulted by Mr. Uller. More than 150 additional cases remain.
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Absolutely awful.
400 men were molested when they were boys by one man?
— HI808 (@hi808sun) May 13, 2025
There's more:
Yes. It’s very sad. It’s a man who was a civilian, non-police, employee of the police department. I think he did tech support or something like that. Anyway, they gave him a police car and a badge despite him not being a police officer. The city built a place for at risk youth,…
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) May 13, 2025
The post concludes:
The city built a place for at risk youth, typically those with no dad, to hang out after school so they would not get into trouble. It is called the Police Activities League (PAL). This guy would volunteer at PAL. And used his badge and car as a way of earning the trust of these boys and would take them to the office of his father, who was a physician, after hours, claiming that he would perform sports physicals on them and then molest them there. This went on for many many years. People reported it, but the council members ignored it and tried to cover it up.
And those council members face no consequences.
They should have to pay the $400 million.
Along with Uller.
Keep fighting the good fight Houman! California needs more folks like you unrelentingly dishing out the facts and calling out the corruption.
— TTL America (@TTLAmerica) May 13, 2025
I hope to see you hold a position in government sometime in the near future.
It's a daunting task. CA is horribly corrupt and broken.
Dear beautiful Santa Monica - what have they done? I lived there for one blissful year when I was a little kid. They can’t take away my memories but so much of reality is gone :(
— Erica Sandberg 舊金山的神奇女俠 (@EricaJSandberg) May 13, 2025
Democratic 'leadership.'
It's so sad what's happened to our beautiful state and cities across LA County. Santa Monica was such a wonderful place during the 80s & 90s. I loved 3rd St Promenade. Now it's overrun with homeless and drug addicts. It's so sad to see how far it's fallen into decay 30-40 years.
— Angelfish777online (@Angelfish777on1) May 13, 2025
Democrats ruin everything.
Frankly I do not give a d**n. The city officials and those who continue to vote for their crazy self- destructive schemes deserve the consequences of their stupid decisions. That is the city they wanted and that is the city they now have. I live in SoCal and used to love to go to…
— Sherry Kerdman (@sherry_kerdman) May 13, 2025
Hard to disagree.
More of the death of California cities… https://t.co/y7pFc4I1mM
— Rochelle Hawks (@Banned4Real) May 13, 2025
It's sad, really.
Pathetic what left ‘leadership’ has subjected this once beautiful and safe city to …. https://t.co/fpNdapXp7n
— Cheese Theory (@CheeseTheory1) May 13, 2025
It's so DIVERSE! and TOLERANT!
Yeah, it's broke and the streets are full of homeless drug addicts and human waste, but don't you feel CULTURALLY ENRICHED?!
Totally wrong. It was not the incompetence of a few officials that caused this disaster. It was the idiocy of Santa Monica voters. You voted Democrat. Now live with with it and quit whining. You're still voting Democrat, so get ready for more of the same. https://t.co/Mmiz1Ufcr6
— Don Pettengill (@DonPettengill) May 13, 2025
You get the government you vote for.
Maybe, one day, some voters will learn this lesson.
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