When I announced my campaign 7 weeks ago, I was so excited to finally share my plan for a safer & better LA with all of you.

From being the first DDA to speak out about George Gascón’s dangerous “day 1” directives & standing up to his failed leadership, it’s been quite a journey for my fll over the county from San Dimas to Lancaster, listening & meeting so many of you. And all of you have been right there with me.

I thought now would be a good time to share with those of you who might be new to Team Hatami a little more about my story & what led me to step up and make this run for District Attorney. So much about what I stand for – what I believe in –where I came from, is all in this video.

The support I’ve received in these weeks since kicking off my campaign has been humbling & inspiring. Thank you!

I need you in this fight with me. Together, we’ll make Los Angeles safer for all of us.

Visit JonathanHatami.com to donate TODAY! it will go a long way toward helping my campaign have the resources we’ll need to beat Gascón & his special interest donors.

Today, we honor all the women & men who have served this great country. Although I’ve been a prosecutor for over 20 years, what really changed my life was spending 7 years active duty enlisted in the United States Army after high school. It taught me about honor, doing the right thing by example. It also gave me a family.

When I was in it, many times it was tough. But, looking back on it, for me, it will always be the honor of a lifetime that I was able to stand up for our freedoms and serve my country. I’m a proud member of the American Legion and VFW and will always support our LA County veterans & their families, my fellow veteran DDA’s and first responders and my friends.

So, let’s pause, reflect and recognize our veterans. Only about 6% of the US adult population are veterans. California has the largest number of homeless vets. Our LA BOS hasn’t had a veteran on the Board for over 10 yrs. The new SCV City Council has no veterans. Our main Electeds in the SCV aren’t veterans. So, we as a city, a county, a community and a country must always do everything we can to support and help our veterans just as they helped us.

To my lifelong brothers, sisters and friends who bravely answered the call, “THANK YOU!” You are seen, you matter and you always will to Roxanne, myself and the entire Hatami family.

#VeteransDay 🇺🇸

I’ve read some Op Ed’s and seen social media posts from people and electeds that say Newsom was right, “courageous” and they agree with his decision to commute over 500 death row sentences.

I’ve read other Op Ed’s, seen statements from elected DA’s, and looked at social media nd electeds and they are clearly against Newsom’s decision.

The problem is most people still don’t get it. This isn’t about if you support capital punishment or if you don’t. This shouldn’t be about one person’s opinion. This should be about the law. A law that was passed by the voters multiple times in CA over the years. It is also about a legal process. A process that goes back many years and involves the victims’ families, evidence, facts, the law, judges, jurors, prosecutors, defense attorneys, trials and appellate judges, which is all open to the pubic.

Newsom, on his own, without consulting any of the people involved, without being present for even one jury trial, overrode all of that, didn’t contact one parent of a murdered child or family member, and made a decision acting like his beliefs and morals were more important and more valuable than the entire State of California. And he did it for political reasons.

That isn’t justice. That’s also not “courageous” even if you are against capital punishment. It says our vote doesn’t matter, our victims don’t really matter, the legal process doesn’t matter, the jurors don’t matter and little Gabriel doesn’t matter.

Completely excluding victims and their families is something I will never support. I’m just never going to stop fighting for Gabriel and his family as long as I’m on this planet.

There are over 200 child victims who were brutally murdered by the over 500 criminals on death row in California.

Newsom announced his decision to commute all the murderers sentences by letter and social media. Not one parent or family member was notified of his decision. Most found out from social media, the news or their prosecutor calling them.

No matter how you feel about capital punishment, that doesn’t “honor” anyone. Its cruel. It’s not the American way. It lacks decency. And it’s cowardly, not courageous.

When it comes to supporting victims and their families and prioritizing public safety and justice, there is such a void of leadership in my state.

Making decisions, taking ownership of those decisions and having the decency to notify the parent of a murdered child about their child’s case is the least an elected “leader” can do.

In 2012, the voters of the State of California approved capital punishment. And again in 2016, the voters of the State of California approved capital punishment.

In California, to even be eligible for capital punishment the defendant must be found guilty of First Degree Murder and the jury must also unanimously find True that the murderer committed a special circumstance (like Intentional Murder by Torture, Multiple Murders, a Hate Crime Murder, Sexual Assault or Rape and a Murder, etc). Then, in a second trial, all 12 jurors must unanimously vote that the death penalty is the appropriate punishment (they have a choice between LWOP or Death). All prosecutors also involve the surviving family members in this entire transparent process.

Furthermore, these aren’t cases where guilt is an issue. I personally would never seek capital punishment unless I had Beyond ALL Doubt evidence. The issue then becomes, not if the defendant did it, he/she did, it’s what should the punishment be for the crime. The worst of the worst crimes against humanity deserve the worst of the worst punishment.

And lastly, a judge must, considering all the evidence and motions, impose the sentence.

Newsom ignored the People of the State of CA, the voters, the surviving family members, the jurors, the judge, the victim, the evidence, the prosecutor and our CA laws, and without collaboration with anyone, unilaterally decided on his own to commute DP sentences. That isn’t the American way.

You can be pro-DP, you can be anti-DP, or you can be like me and believe in the rule of law, the process, transparency and ultimate accountability and justice.

Making these decisions for political reasons, which is why I believe the Governor made this decision, is never something that should play a part when dealing with justice.

I will always stand with my community, with our victims and with their family members. No one person should be the sole decider of these issues. It should involve all of us.

There is no closure for the family members of murder victims or our community when the governor commutes a killers just sentence from DP to LWOP, and then we are left with constant law changes from our Sacramento Legislature, who have consistently favored murderers over even child victims for the last 15 years.

I want to know which one of our “leaders” here in CA is going to guarantee, on the record, that all these horrendous murderers, whose sentences were just reduced from DP to LWOP, will actually die in prison without ever getting a single parole hearing?

Newsom wrote in his letter for commuting all capital punishment sentences that he hopes the murderers will “die in obscurity while we forever remember and honor their victims.”

This just isn’t close to the truth. First, honor what victims? Did you even name one victim in your letter? How is this honoring little Gabriel. How is this honoring Gabriel’s father, brother, sister, uncle and cousins who are all against your decision? Did you even talk with one family member?

Second, how can you guarantee the murderers will die in obscurity? The parole board just issued a new procedure for commutation and resentencing of criminals sentenced to LWOP. Can you guarantee that the Sacramento Legislature won’t pass a law saying LWOP now doesn’t mean LWOP?

Third, why is commuting the sentences of child murderers and mass murderers a priority for you?

Maybe the media should ask you these questions.

Gabriel mattered!

Newsom, the same person who supported & backed Gascón in SF and LA, unilaterally, without talking to Gabriel’s family, just commuted Gabriel’s killers sentence.

To me, little Gabriel will always be an example of courage. His case, his life, his death and his trial will always be with his family, with my family, with his friends and with our community. No matter what Newsom did today, Gabriel will never be forgotten. Newsom thinks he can erase Ezequiel and Virginia having to go into court and face Gabriel’s murderer and testify - he can’t. All of you there that day remember their testimony. Virginia’s screams. No matter what, Gabriel will never be forgotten. He mattered.

“Gabriel was in agony for almost 240 days. He was humiliated, intimidated, shamed, bullied, scared, abused, and tortured by the defendant. He was made to feel like nothing, nobody. He was made to blame himself and feel ashamed. He was carried by the defendant, after he was beaten to death, like trash. Just discarded by the defendant. Death was likely a merciful end to Gabriel’s pain – and that only illuminates the torture and abuse that he really suffered. When he needed it most, no one was there to hold Gabriel, to love him, to caress him, and to just tell him ‘everything will be alright.’

Gabriel will not be forgotten. You heard that from all the witnesses. His death will not be in vain. You, the jury, have seen the journey of torture and abuse Gabriel went through. We ask that you hold the defendant accountable. The ultimate punishment is truly appropriate for the defendant, even though it does not even compare to what the defendant did to Gabriel.     

The defendant is not a victim. No one who does this to a child can ever be called a victim. No one who does this to a child can have good inside of him. He is a 37-year-old grown man. He has absolutely no excuses. He did it. He got off on it. He is responsible. Pure evil. No one who embraces inflicting pain upon an innocent little boy should ever be allowed to portray himself as a victim. You now know what a victim is. A victim is someone who has his teeth knocked out, his liver lacerated, his skull fractured, his penis bruised and burned, his ribs broken, and his entire body bruised and battered. A victim is a child who was muffled and stuffed in a box. Who was forced to eat cat litter and cat feces. Who was forced to eat his own vomit. Gabriel is truly an example of courage. The defendant, on the other hand, is a true example of an evil coward. A bully. We ask that you hold him accountable.”  

Closing Argument Penalty Phase - Jonathan Amir Hatami

We love you Gabriel! 🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽

It’s incredibly difficult for victims of sexual assault to come forward and report what happened to them. Even harder when the rapist is a celebrity.

It’s also very tough to go through an emotional trial where the victim has to relive all the horrible things that happened to her and talk about those things in front of basically strangers.

Victims matter. Justice was served.

Sadly, I’ve only seen a handful of candidates that actually want to inspire, uplift, lead and make things actually better for all of us. I’m talking about both parties.

“Vote for me because my opponent is worse” is not inspiring. How does that tell me one thing you want to do to actually improve LA City and County for our children or anyone for that matter?

One thing I would say, can we all just stop voting for any more tax increases until the government stops the waste & fraud and actually uses our taxpayer money it has to make our lives better?

Let me get this straight: Many of us moved to Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and North San Fernando Valley because housing was more affordable, the neighborhoods were safer for raising a family and the public schools were better. Commuting to LA isn’t enjoyable but we do it because we chose our families first. Now, our politicians want to tax our commute?

Highest gas taxes; highest sales taxes; among the highest income taxes; among the highest for utilities; among the highest DMV fees. And now, politicians are going to impose a tax on us, the ones who couldn’t afford getting a house closer to LA City, for driving to work?

LAUSD spent $34 million in taxpayer dollars to build a campus that’s been empty since 2021.

The vacant school gets frequently vandalized so LAUSD has to spend $20,000 per month of taxpayer dollars to keep the empty campus secure. Over $200,000 a year just for securing a vacant campus.

Zero children are helped by this. LA City is a complete mess with just no leadership whatsoever.

Three matters I want to address on a Friday. And, this isn’t meant to tell people who to vote for. It’s really just how I feel. 

(1) This NBA & WNBA issue with the National Anthem. 

People can disagree with politicians. They come & go. Most are horrible. I really don’t like many of them. They stay way too long. They are selfish & addicted to power. Also, people can disagree with national policies implemented by those politicians. I do all the time. But, disrespecting our country, our flag, our troops, our anthem … it’s just something I could never do. Not after all I’ve seen & all I’ve been through. 

I’m Persian, Italian and Puerto Rican. But, I’m through & through an American. You can dislike politicians but still love & respect our country. 

(2) This Ohio campaign commercial issue 

Child abuse survivors can carry their trauma with them their whole life. I’m 56. I still do. In politics, yes, everything is open game. It’s the nature of things. But, to me, whatever you do in your campaign is a direct reflection of you. Of how you will govern. Of how you will treat people. Of how you really feel about child abuse & domestic violence. Of your morals, your ethics, your beliefs and your ideals. Winning at all costs without integrity isn’t the winning I want to be a part of. 

There are some, and they know exactly who they are, who think they can do and say whatever and then after the campaign is over, they are like - “we all good?” Yeah - No. F that. We aren’t. 

What I’m saying isn’t political. It’s real. And it’s me. Anyone who decides to be inhuman just to win an election, you will never have my support. And that will never be something I do. My kids and being a Dad and role model to them and a leader to all the children I fight for everyday is just too important to me.

(3) Taxes, tax increases and government studies

I grew up poor so seeing $460,000 spent on a study to open a corrupt city bank or paying almost $600,000 to the newly created & elected county CEO seems like really a lot of money to me. It is the job of our County & City of Los Angeles to spend our money wisely. It’s also a sacred, moral and legal obligation to its residents. 

The current group of our politicians, pretty much most of them, seem to care less. Spend, spend and more spend. And for all the spending they do, we see little to no real county and city improvements and eventually find out their friends or family members are the ones who benefit monetarily. 

It lacks moral responsibility to the community

I do not know one person, one family member, one member of the public, law enforcement, or our AV & LA community who feels the torturer and murderers of little Gabriel should have their sentence commuted or reduced. No one.

When it comes to the prolonged torture and murder of an innocent little child, when the evidence is clearly there, and a jury makes the decision, and a judge does the sentencing, that person or persons who committed the crimes should receive the ultimate punishment. In CA, that is capital punishment. It’s been voted on by the people many times.

The process must be respected. Justice must be served. Gabriel deserves that. All children do. No one person, especially someone who supported & endorsed Gascon, has the individual right to change that.

Newsom put out a post today on crime statistics. Stats don’t tell the real story of actual victims, especially child victims.

Don’t ever forget the children we lost. Always remember 🙏🏽

$460,000 in taxpayer money for a … study.

For people who work in the public sector, it could take 3 years salary to make that kind of money. Giving it to a consultant for a study to open a bank run and controlled by the city of Los Angeles. The city doesn’t even know where millions upon millions of our money went that was supposed to help the homeless. Now they want to be in charge of a bank and they want to spend almost a half of million of our money to do a study on it?

1989, as a private, I think my LES said I made about $800 a month. It’s just gross the way our elected “leaders” just throw money away on really ridiculous ideas when we can’t even have operable street lights and most of us can’t afford our water & electric bills.

This is the result of Measure G - something I opposed.

Paying a politician almost $600,000 a year with no term limits is just irresponsible. It’s also a slap in the face to most of us in LA County who work hard and live paycheck to paycheck I truly don’t know one politician in LA County who deserves that kind of money from their taxpayers.

Making government bigger & bigger, allowing politicians in power to create new positions for themselves and paying a person serving the public almost $600,000 a year is obscene.

Thank you Sup Barger for showing leadership & integrity.

Been watching some of my friends who are involved in local political races here in LA County. I have Dem friends, I have Repub friends and I have Independent/NPP friends - go figure.

These races have become very nasty and very personal.

Every city council member should make our community better, safer and stronger. Period. We all want a place where we can purchase a single family home, in a nice neighborhood, with good public schools, where we can raise our children in a safe, affordable and supportive environment. A place we can truly call “home.”

Candidates personally attacking each other because they have beef is childish and lacks any type of leadership quality. It’s what we don’t want in an elected leader no matter the political party. Governance requires maturity. It’s not about power. It’s about giving back.

If you want to represent all of us, you need to represent the best of us. Leaders must lead by example.

Andrew Luster, an heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was convicted in 2003 of 86 counts of drugging and raping three innocent victims.

He was sentenced to 124 years in prison. That was later reduced to 50 years. The State of CA just released him after serving only 20 years.

This is the result of Prop 57 and numerous other ridiculous, unreasonable and unsafe policies supported & passed by Sacramento and CA politicians over the last 15 years. Rapists aren’t victims. Prisons & jails are necessary to make sure we, our children, our families and our communities are safe from dangerous people & repeat offenders.

“Criminal justice reform” shouldn’t mean murderers, thieves and rapists are victims, we just ignore and forget about the real victims, prisons should be abolished, violent criminals should be released early, even rapists should get “good time” credits, 50 yrs old is considered an elder if you are a violent criminal, everyone gets to claim they are entitled to mental health diversion, theft isn’t a crime anymore, we should embrace open air drug markets, LWOP sentences should be reduced, and so many other dangerous and nonsensical policies.

Can one politician who supported this tell us how does releasing a serial rapist into the community of Glendora make children or families in that community any safer or better off?