Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) tried to stop the publication of a news story about Los Angeles’ homeless crisis this week, reportedly telling a Los Angeles Times scribe: “You’ll hurt yourself and the community trying to put this together.”
The Wednesday story by investigative reporter Connor Sheets detailed a March 25 incident in South Los Angeles, where hundreds of homeless people tried to obtain Section 8 housing vouchers after being misled by social media rumors.
The would-be applicants crashed an event held by nonprofit advocacy group Fathers and Mothers Who Care, which had been meant to help the unhoused obtain emergency shelter.
The confusion reportedly overwhelmed the non-profit as well as Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (LAHSA) workers who told the unexpected arrivals that they would only be able to provide their information and enter an emergency housing database.
At one point, Waters told the crowd: “I want everybody to go home,” triggering an angry response.
“We don’t got no home, that’s why we’re here!” one member of the crowd yelled back, according to the LA Times. “What home we gonna go to?”
Waters reportedly responded by laughing and saying: “Nothing is going to happen here today.”
Soon after, Waters appeared to grow frustrated by a question from a local housing advocacy nonprofit.
“Excuse me, there’s nobody in Washington who works for their people any f— harder than I do,” she said. “I don’t want to hear this. No, no, no.”
“Maxine Waters was here, and she said to come back Tuesday with our paperwork filled out,” Burnett said. “I have it, everything they asked for. But every time we get near the front of the line, they shut the door. They opened the door about 20 minutes ago and said they’re not servicing anyone else today.” One homeless disabled woman, Joyce Burnett, told the Times that Waters instructed the crowd to come back to the South Angeles office the following Tuesday with appropriate documents.
When contacted by the LA Times Tuesday, Waters requested the story not be published, saying “it’s a bunch of rumors.”
“You’ll hurt yourself and the community trying to put this together without background,” she told Sheets, according to the report. “I don’t want you to start trying to write it, you won’t understand it.”
Blanca Jimenez, Waters’ district director, responded to questions from the outlet by providing a link to a local TV station’s glowing coverage of Waters’ appearance at the Friday event along with an image of Waters addressing the crowd.
“Someone shared this photo with the office,” Jimenez wrote. “Isn’t she brave?”
Waters’ office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Rep. Maxine Waters warns reporter over LA homeless story (nypost.com)
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