Democratic donor Ed Buck arrested in L.A., charged with running a drug house


Police in Los Angeles arrested Ed Buck, a longtime Democratic donor in West Hollywood, on Tuesday and charged him with running a drug house. Los Angeles County prosecutors asked that bail be set at $4 million because Buck is, they alleged, a "violent, dangerous sexual predator" with "no regard for human life" who offered drugs, money, and shelter to vulnerable men in exchange for helping to gratify Buck's sexual fetishes, one of which was injecting people with dangerous doses of methamphetamines and other drugs.
Two black men have died from drug overdoses at Buck's apartment, one in January and another in July 2017, and Buck injected a third man with two dangerous doses last week, though that man survived the overdose after fleeing the apartment and calling 911 from a gas station, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office alleged Tuesday. "His deadly behavior has not stopped," the prosecutors said in their motion, and Buck's "predatory acts and willful disregard for human life must be stopped before another life is lost."
Buck's lawyer declined to comment on the charges, though he has said his client did nothing wrong in past cases. He has not been held legally responsible for the fatal overdoses. Buck, 65, is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Having a mayor: Starmer's struggles with devolved leaders
Talking Point Andy Burnham made public criticisms of the Labour government policies without specifically naming Keir Starmer or Rachel Reeves
-
Why is Nasa facing a crisis?
Today's Big Question Trump administration proposes 25% cut to national space agency's budget in 'extinction-level event'
-
The 50-year battle for Western Sahara
The Explainer UK is latest country to back Moroccan plan to end decades-long dispute with Algerian-backed Polisario Front
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers