Ethics chief charged with felonies sues DA for allegedly protecting him.

The Los Angeles prosecutors' union has filed a lawsuit against District Attorney George Gascon, accusing him of withholding information on a close ally in violation of the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

In May, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA) requested information about Diana Teran, a top Gascon aide who is facing felony charges, and received an incomplete response, according to a 200-page court filing unveiled Thursday. The ADDA sought her emails and information about whether she remained on the county payroll after her indictment, as well as whether county taxpayers were on the hook for her criminal defense.

The lawsuit aims to compel Gascon's office to reveal the requested records, classify the DA as a CPRA violator, and compensate the ADDA's legal fees for the lawsuit and the unfulfilled demands.

As a private practice owner and former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Neama Rahmani stated that these records are public and the union and other members of the public have a right to access this information.

The embattled DA and county lawyers may be attempting to postpone the release of damaging information until after Election Day, as stated by him.

Teran, a high-ranking deputy DA and Gascon's close ally, is facing a tough challenger in November, and the union has sued Gascon before during his tumultuous first term, according to Rahmani.

Read the lawsuit. Mobile users click here.

In April, California Attorney General Robert Bonta charged Teran with a felony indictment for allegedly stealing confidential computer files containing information on Los Angeles sheriff's deputies and using them improperly after leaving the department. Despite her defense attorney's prediction that she will defeat the charges, several have already been dismissed.

""George Gascon has repeatedly violated the California Public Records Act by unlawfully delaying and obstructing the process of providing public records promptly," said Ryan Erlich, vice president of the ADDA."

Previously, Gascon's office rejected similar requests from Planet Chronicle Digital for financial records regarding the cost of defending the DA against a lawsuit filed against him by the ADDA.

John Lewin, a deputy district attorney, stated that Gascon has repeatedly stalled, delayed, or ignored numerous requests, according to a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit he is separately filing against Gascon.

Unlike other states, California's public records law lacks a built-in mechanism for appealing a denial to a higher authority, meaning record seekers must resort to legal action if they are improperly denied access to records.

"George Gascon believes that as the district attorney, he is not bound by the law and is above it, according to Lewin. However, he will soon discover that he is not above the law, as he will lose the election and spend the next several years in court defending the 20-plus lawsuits that will cost the county over a hundred million dollars."

A spokesperson for Gascon's office stated that they have a policy not to comment on ongoing legal cases.

Over 20 individual prosecutors and four from their union have filed lawsuits against the DA.

Michele Hanisee, ADDA President, expressed concern that obtaining public documents through legal action is necessary again, despite them being easily accessible.

Nathan Hochman, the attorney running against Gascon in the upcoming election, criticized his opponent for the high number of court battles he faces from his own office.

"Mr. Gascon's civics lesson about democracy may have been necessary, as he was criticized for prioritizing his own interests and extreme political ideology over standing up for crime victims. Unfortunately, his own prosecutors had to sue him to ensure compliance with the law."