One of Mayor Bass’ Longtime Advisors Is Helping Lineage Do Crisis P.R.

YUSEF ROBB — long one of Mayor Karen Bass’ most trusted unofficial advisors, despite holding no formal role in her administration — has been doing communications consulting work for Lineage, the operator of the Boyle Heights cold storage warehouse that burned last month. Robb was retained as part of the team on the account on June 19, days after the fire broke out. 

The fire, which sent noxious, potentially toxic, smoke billowing across the city for days and was followed by a spike in hospital visits, prompted emergency declarations from both Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom. The industrial disaster has provoked an outpouring of rage from community members who say they weren’t protected, or told what chemicals they may have been exposed to, and are now living next to tens of millions of pounds of rotting food that must still be disposed of. Voters in these working-class, Eastside neighborhoods will be crucial to the mayor's ability to win a second term.