The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced criminal charges against Diana Teran, the Assistant District Attorney of Ethics and Integrity Operations for Los Angeles County DA George Gascón. Teran is accused of illegally accessing and using confidential files from the LA Sheriff’s Department. This revelation has intensified scrutiny over the embattled tenure of District Attorney Gascón.
Diana Teran previously served as the Constitutional Policing Advisor to the Sheriff’s Department, a role that granted her access to sensitive personnel files of deputies. It is alleged that in 2018, she misused this privileged access by downloading files. She later utilized these files in her subsequent role as a special advisor to District Attorney Gascón.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the state, Teran accessed private data on 11 unnamed deputies “without permission” and made copies of these files for use in her prosecutorial duties. Teran’s career trajectory has been closely tied to police oversight. After her tenure at the Sheriff’s Department, she worked as a consultant for the Office of Inspector General. In 2019, she transitioned to the LA County public defender’s office as a law enforcement accountability advisor.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized the gravity of the allegations, stating, “No one is above the law. Public officials are called to serve the people and the State of California with integrity and honesty. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the people of California and hold those who break the law accountable.”
The charges against Teran have sparked additional controversy around DA Gascón, whose administration has already been under fire for its approach to law enforcement and prosecutorial conduct. The incident has provided significant material for Gascón’s political opponents as the election for the district attorney’s office approaches.
Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and candidate in the upcoming DA race, has seized on this development to critique Gascón’s leadership. Hochman described the incident as “the latest example of Gascón’s demonstrated record of poor judgment and lack of leadership in running the district attorney’s office.”
He also pointed out internal dissent within the DA’s office, emphasizing that Gascón’s decision to promote Teran despite her dual employment at the Public Defender’s Office and the DA’s Office, and ongoing concerns regarding her perceived bias against law enforcement, was controversial.
Gascón’s office has responded by stating that the District Attorney is fully cooperating with Bonta’s investigation into the allegations. They are committed to transparency and accountability, especially in light of the severe nature of the accusations.
The case against Teran not only highlights the intricate issues of ethics and confidentiality in law enforcement but also underscores the challenging dynamics of police oversight. As the investigation progresses, it is poised to have far-reaching implications not just for Teran and Gascón, but for the entire framework of law enforcement oversight and accountability in Los Angeles. With the district attorney election on the horizon, the outcome of this case could be a decisive factor in shaping the future of criminal justice administration in one of the nation’s largest and most complex jurisdictions.
