Supervisors Appoint Eric Bates as Interim Inspector General

LOS ANGELES  — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Dec. 16 appointed Eric D. Bates as the interim inspector general for LA County.

“I am honored by the Board’s confidence and am committed to upholding the Office of Inspector General’s core mission of independent oversight, accountability, and transparency,” said interim inspector general Eric Bates. “My priority will be to preserve the independence and credibility of the oversight function while maintaining continuity in audits, investigations, and compliance monitoring, meeting legally-mandated obligations, and ensuring the Board receives timely, objective information to guide its oversight of the Sheriff’s and Probation Departments. Nothing is more important to me than strengthening the OIG’s work to identify systemic risks and improve public safety and trust.”

A highly experienced litigator with over three decades of oversight and trial experience, Bates most recently served as an assistant inspector general with the LA County office of the inspector general. Prior to his work for the County of Los Angeles, Bates served for five years as a special assistant inspector general with the California office of the inspector general, where he was responsible for oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. With 15 years of experience as a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice, Mr. Bates has extensive experience in leading extensive investigations. Mr. Bates earned a doctorate in Law from Whittier College.