Los Angeles Democrat calls out party, media for largely ignoring top donor's grisly crimes

Political commentator and Los Angeles County Democratic committeemember Jasmyn Cannick called out her own party as well as the media for their silence over the conviction of Edward Buck, a prominent Democratic donor from Los Angeles on "Fox News Primetime."

Buck, 66, was convicted Tuesday of two drug overdose deaths and injecting men with methamphetamine in exchange for sex, in what prosecutors said was a pattern of luring Black men into his apartment as part of a sexual fetish.

Democrats including President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Reps. Ted Lieu of California and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois have been recipients of Buck's money over the years. In 2019, after his initial arrest, the two congressmen re-donated the amounts Buck gave them to charity.

"Two men have died. Countless others almost died. It is such a humongous relief to know that Ed Buck will never be on the streets again," Cannick said.

"I am an elected member of the Democratic Party, I am so disappointed in my party: they have had very little to say about this whole entire ordeal over past 4 years – [with] some wanting to give Ed Buck the benefit of the doubt [and] it's embarrassing."

Cannick added that she often sees homeless and drug-addled minorities on street corners in Los Angeles, saying that Buck preyed on such people's desperation.

"Buck was only able to do what he did because of our homelessness crisis," she said. "People felt like they had to play Russian roulette with their life with this person to get money to have food for a place to sleep for the night that wasn't outside."

She called on Democrats and the mainstream media to call attention to Buck's crimes and put politics aside.

Cannick said Buck's conviction is an opportunity to do more than just say things like "Black Lives Matter" and instead let people like Buck off the hook when he hurts or kills Black men.

In court, prosecutors accused Buck of luring men to his West Hollywood apartment and forcing drugs on them.

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"He would find desolate, vulnerable victims and push meth on them over and over ... until they went unconscious," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Bailey alleged in her closing argument, Fox-owned station, KTTV-TV reported. 

"That's what he liked about it – the power gave him sexual gratification. ... Every time he stuck a needle in someone's arm, he was playing God. And he never stopped – not even after two men died."

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.