Gascon ripped by LA County prosecutor Jason Lustig for retaliating against critics: 'I'm not backing down'
L.A. County prosecutor Jason Lustig says he was demoted from his position for criticizing controversial District Attorney George Gascon.
A Los Angeles County prosecutor said Monday he was effectively demoted from his position after publicly criticizing progressive District Attorney George Gascón.
"This past Thursday, I was informed, without any prior notice, that I was being transferred from my current position as the assistant head deputy district attorney in the Long Beach courthouse to be a non-supervisory trial deputy at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse," Jason Lustig told host Julie Banderas on "America's Newsroom."
"My commute went from seven miles one way to 30 miles one way. My title and supervisory status have been taken away…" he added.
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Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon on Tuesday defended his policies amid criticism following reports that the deceased suspect accused of killing two El Monte, California, police officers, was out on probation. (KCBS-TV)
Lustig said his current title of trial deputy in the major narcotics division is one he initially held as a grade two deputy district attorney in 1994.
"Basically, he's knocked me down all those rungs to where I was in 1994," he said.
Boxes of signatures The Recall George Gascon campaign dropped off at the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters office. (Fox News)
Lustig said he could "no longer remain silent" after the beginning of the second recall against Gascón, saying he and others had been "suffering" in the office and Los Angeles County citizens had been suffering from his "unlawful policies" for a year.
"I couldn't remain silent anymore. I needed to exercise my First Amendment right and inform the public of what was going on," he said, later adding, "I'm not backing down."
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John McKinney also spoke out against Gascón for the allegedly retaliatory demotions on "Fox & Friends First" early Monday, claiming the move proves the progressive district attorney's commitment to "fewer prosecutions" and "less accountability."
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Gascón's office told Fox News Digital that the job transfers were not demotions, claiming that the office routinely conducts personnel transfers and that no employees were demoted during the process.