Steve Soboroff, Los Angeles' "Recovery Chief," agreed to work without pay after Special Envoy Ric Grenell, Trump’s White House representative in California, exposed his $500,000 salary. The revelation sparked public outrage, prompting Soboroff to forgo his compensation in a bid to quell the backlash. The controversy comes as Soboroff oversees the city's recovery efforts, with many questioning the large salary in light of residents' ongoing challenges.
Facing criticism over his hefty $500,000 salary for just 90 days of work—money he would have earned from the misfortune of L.A. residents—Soboroff has backed down and agreed to work for free. Democrat L.A. Mayor Karen Bass confirmed he would receive no compensation, which would have been funded entirely by charitable organizations.
“Steve is always there for LA. I spoke to him today and asked him to modify his agreement and work for free. He said yes. We agree that we don’t need anything distracting from the recovery work we’re doing,” Bass said in a statement.
Soboroff, appointed last month as Bass's wildfire recovery czar, was brought in to boost Bass’s political career after her initial response to the emergency drew nationwide criticism. Although the mayor’s office declined to disclose which organizations would fund Soboroff’s salary, critics found it “infuriating” that Bass had even considered that option.
L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez deemed it "obscene" that philanthropic organizations would allocate $750,000 for only two individuals—$500,000 for Soboroff and $250,000 for real estate executive Randy Johnson, who will oversee rebuilding efforts under Soboroff's leadership.
On the contrary, Grenell called Soboroff’s pay “offensive,” pointing out that he was doing his job for free.
“I’m getting paid $0 — as are many people,” Grenell wrote on X. “It’s a good thing there will be strings on the Federal money for California.”
He’s getting paid $500,000 for 3 months of work? And they call this a charity.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 8, 2025
Gross. Offensive.
I’m getting paid $0 - as are many people.
It’s a good thing there will be strings on the Federal money for California. https://t.co/ZWabYTxOxg
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