The chief executive of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics said in an interview Tuesday that he was standing firmly behind LA28 board Chair Casey Wasserman. The talent agent, who has been pulled into the Epstein controversy, is the best person to help deliver a successful Summer Games to L.A., says Reynold Hoover.
In a 45-minute meeting with The Times at LA28’s downtown headquarters, Hoover said that Wasserman’s business acumen, connections and history with the Olympics effort make him an invaluable asset, despite controversy over his past communications with Ghislaine Maxwell, who went to prison as an accomplice in Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual exploitation ring.
Hoover also said that the leaders of the L.A. Olympics effort had developed a solid working relationship with the Trump administration, which he said had demanded no concessions in return for providing federal financial support for the 2028 Summer Games.
Hoover graduated from West Point, served in a variety of high command positions as a lieutenant general in the Army and has led the Los Angeles Olympics organization for the last 21 months. He emphasized that preparation for the L.A. Games had continued apace during the furor over Wasserman.
Five million people have registered for the chance to buy tickets to the ’28 Games. More than 215,000 people have signed up to volunteer for the Games, which Hoover called “a powerful tool for …our community to give back.” LA28 has drawn commitments for $2 billion in commercial sponsorships, more than 80% of its goal, Hoover said.
Here’s a summary of Essential California’s conversation with the LA28 chief executive:
You’ve made it clear you stand behind Casey Wasserman as chair of the 35-member LA28 board. Why?
Hoover: I know the value that he brings to the organization and what we’re trying to do. We’re going to continue on. … Casey was here at the beginning of this whole project, and there’s nobody with the kind of business sense of the Olympics and how to put the partnerships together that you [need] to deliver on the Olympics. … Between him and I, we make a great team.
Several City Council members and Mayor Karen Bass have called on Wasserman to step down. What have sponsors said?
Hoover: We’re going to announce another tier-one sponsorship in another week or so. We still have sponsors coming. No sponsor has come to us and said that they don’t want to be associated with us or are concerned about the current controversy.
President Trump has angered a lot of people in L.A. with the immigration raids and other policies. Some are concerned about his influence on the Games given the presence on the LA28 board of people like former Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. What would you say to those concerns?
Hoover: I would say that the president is committed to the Games and this administration is committed to the Games. And, to date, they have not made a specific demand on us or the city to have to do anything to get federal assistance to support the Games. … I feel confident that the federal government is going to come in and will help us deliver a safe and secure Games.
The deadline passed nearly five months ago for the contract that will govern how much LA28 will pay the city for extra trash collection, traffic control, policing and other services during the Games. Should L.A. taxpayers be worried?
Hoover: We do not want to be a burden on the city and the city taxpayers. … We will pay for city services that are over and above normal and customary. The city would like us to [be responsible for paying for] a much bigger footprint … and obviously we want to have a smaller footprint to save us some money. … We have to come to terms on what are the right parameters. I don’t think we’re far apart.
Ultimately, will the federal government cover the cost of security?
Hoover: We have continued to advocate for 100% reimbursement of security costs from the federal government. And there’s no reason to believe they’re not going to do that.
President Trump delivers the State of the Union address Tuesday night in the Capitol.
(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
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(Naohmi Monroe / For The Times)
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(Debby Meyer)
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Beau Quillian, left, and Brent Poer with their dogs Otis, Sister and Selene, sit on a couch in their historic Mills Act home in Pasadena.
(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Etienne Laurent at the Pasadena home of two ex-New Yorkers who embrace more-is-more style.
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
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