For high-profile Democrats like Rep. Ted Lieu, it took not one – but two bodies – to sever ties with a top donor, Ed Buck.
In January, authorities found 55-year-old Timothy Dean dead at Buck’s Los Angeles residence. That startling development came two years after 26-year-old Gemmel Moore, a homeless man working as a prostitute, died of a crystal meth overdose at the same address.
Today Buck is facing new charges of human trafficking and revenge porn. (The Daily Beast)
West Hollywood activist and Democratic donor Ed Buck, who came under fire after two black men died from crystal methamphetamine overdoses in his home within 18 months, now faces additional allegations of human trafficking and revenge porn, according to new documents filed in a wrongful death suit against Buck.
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The latest amendment added two charges to the 12-count civil complaint: human trafficking and distribution of private sexually explicit materials. The added causes of action claim Buck “knowingly utilized interstate commerce for the purpose of recruiting, enticing and transporting” [Gemmel] Moore from Texas to Los Angeles, for the purposes of “commercial sex acts.” They claim Buck paid for Moore’s transportation and promised to pay Moore for his time. The complaint also alleges Buck violated Moore’s right to privacy by distributing a sexually explicit video recording of him to one of several unnamed defendants in April of 2019.
According to Jasmyne Cannick, a Los Angeles journalist and advocate in Moore’s case, the revelation of the “revenge porn” allegation came after a series of interviews with other black men, who corroborated Moore’s story. “Throughout the course of really almost two years now, I have had dozens of young men reach out to me with information, photos, videos, their receipts—literally and figuratively—on Ed Buck,” Cannick said. “We amended this particular lawsuit to include human trafficking and revenge porn based off of very credible information that we received from other victims. I’m not going to give you an exact number, but it’s been at least a dozen.”
Following Moore’s death in 2017, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department opened an investigation into Moore’s death. According to the complaint, the Sheriff’s department interviewed multiple black men who recounted similar experiences with Buck. In July of 2018, District Attorney Jackie Lacey declined to file criminal charges against Buck. [emphasis added]
BONUS STORY: Everyone That Got Money From Ed Buck >>