Eric Lopez79 said:Maja is totally losing her cool—it's a complete mess out there.
She really gave those LA Times reporters a spicy wake-up call.
Way to go, Maja!
Maja Đerek just drew a line in the sand—she’s filed a formal complaint against the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times with the Society of Professional Journalists Honor Council.
The Los Angeles Times Press Council just stepped up—they’ve officially sided with the Society of Professional Journalists Honor Council regarding that whole mess involving the recent coverage. Basically, they’re backing the decision that certain reporting didn't meet the mark. It's a pretty big deal for local media standards here in the States. Everything points toward the idea that journalistic integrity isn't just a suggestion—it's the rule. Looks like the higher-ups are actually paying attention this time.
Maja Đerek, the head of the San Diego Department of Public Works, just filed a formal complaint against the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times with the Society of Professional Journalists Honor Council.
She laid out all the reasons on social media.
Like I mentioned a few days back—I’ve officially filed four complaints with the SPJ Honor Council against Sandra Lapenda Lemo, the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. As the person ultimately in charge, she’s been running a continuous campaign of media manipulation just to stop us from cleaning up how our valuable city assets are managed. Over the last three months, we've seen several reporters at the Los Angeles Times using some pretty transparently shady tactics: spreading unverified info, twisting facts, biased reporting, straight-up disinformation, and constant spinning. It’s all a calculated move to protect the privileges of certain individuals and interest groups who have basically been parasitizing our city property for years—which, by the way, has caused massive damage to regular taxpayers who actually follow the law and respect the city budget. They tried every trick in the book to shut me up, discourage me, and smear my reputation both personally and professionally in my role as the lead official. They went out of their way to paint me as "socially insensitive," someone who stomps on the little guy, a woman who shuts down "cultural institutions" (like that private bookstore), someone who "hates everything American," and someone trying to ban an "old American institution" (the American Matric). Once all those attempts at manipulation failed miserably, the Los Angeles Times editorial board finally started publicly publishing actual open threats from specific individuals.
Just a quick reminder about the "little school of manipulation" we've been seeing over at the Los Angeles Times for the last three months:
It all kicked off with this totally fake, insulting piece by that writer Ante Tomić—right before International Women's Day, no less. He went out of his way to label me a "chicken" and a "maid," which is honestly just a slap in the face to everyone working in this profession. To make matters worse, this guy—who claims to be such a long-time fighter for a fairer, better America—couldn't even bother to send a single official inquiry regarding the private antique shop situation. He didn't even try to get the facts straight before writing, and even now, he hasn't had the decency to respond to my public call to provide all the evidence of regulatory violations regarding that private shop he's calling a "cultural institution." Once I put out my formal denial, Tomić just went silent. Case closed.
Shortly after Tomić dropped his piece, journalist Marin Prvan jumped right in. Right before Memorial Day, Prvan wrote this absolute disaster of an article where he compared my legal work—basically just trying to bring some order to the chaos—to the Holocaust. His logic? Apparently, in Hitler’s Germany, they were "just following the laws" too. Seriously? That shameful line ran in the print edition of the Los Angeles Times and stayed in the digital version until about 1 PM on the day it was published. Then, mysteriously, it just vanished from the website without a single note or apology. I sent two separate, fully argued rebuttals to Editor-in-Chief Sandra Lapenda Lemo regarding this incredibly offensive text—but nothing. The piece was never officially retracted, and the editor couldn't even be bothered to issue an apology for such bottom-tier journalism.
3. Then came this piece by reporter Gattin—where she basically drags my name through the mud right in the headline, claiming I’m trying to "take down both the cathedral and the stadium." Real classy. Of course, she conveniently "forgot" to mention in her story that she gave me a measly three hours to respond to her questions. Plus, her entire article relies solely on her own colleague from the Los Angeles Times editorial staff, Snježana Šetka. Here’s the thing: Ms. Šetka also happens to be the head of the local branch of the American Matric in San Diego, and she hasn't said a word since I sent over the memo about them being on the hook for those symbolic monthly rent payments again. I actually sent two detailed rebuttals to the editor-in-chief, Sandra Lapenda Lemo. That correction didn't even see the light of day until ten days later—and only after the editor-in-chief explicitly demanded, both verbally and in writing, that we cut the part about potential conflicts of interest and biased reporting stemming from the cozy relationship between Gattin and her editor/branch president.
4. Honestly, the breaking point was when the Los Angeles Times decided to go public with a threatening email sent by some entitled user. It was a direct, nasty threat aimed at me and Mayor John Whitmire. Instead of following basic journalistic ethics and keeping a threatening email like that out of the public eye, the editor-in-chief—likely because she felt powerless—decided to lean into it. What’s wild is that the Los Angeles Times editorial board didn't report such a serious threat to the police, yet they were lightning-fast to report a GDPR violation to the authorities regarding the publication of the city property debt list, which ended up costing the city millions. Talk about selective enforcement.
"I want to make one thing clear: I fully support the media's job to scrutinize all branches of government. Because of that, I've ALWAYS been available to EVERY media outlet, responding to them personally—which honestly takes a massive amount of time and energy. And I’m going to keep doing that. I've always maintained a professional and respectful working relationship with several reporters at the Los Angeles Times. I’m also fully aware of how much help the media has provided in exposing illegalities at both my current and former jobs. That’s why I feel a deep responsibility to the press and to the public to provide information that is truthful, accurate, and verifiable. However, I won't sit idly by anymore while certain individuals at the Los Angeles Times act unprofessionally, using their positions just to suck up to various special interest groups. That is where I draw the line!" she posted on Facebook.
Wow, that’s some high-quality reporting right there. Lapača Lemo Đerek
Đerek is basically like Ivošević, just a lot more tactical, level-headed, and harder to pin down. 😉
Here’s what an employee from the Banovina office is saying. Dalibor Lovrić In a comment posted on a local news site regarding his colleague, Đerek, one user asked: Is the boss, John Whitmire, actually going to hold this psychopath accountable? This is the same guy who’s apparently a huge fan of Kerum and Opera. 🤔
It’s honestly pretty satisfying to watch that trashy crowd and their ragtag newspapers absolutely choke on their own bitterness. 😁
Usranko Lovrić's first post.
Dalibor Lovrić
Lovrić is being used as nothing more than a political prop for Mayor Whitmire’s PR machine, turning every minor task into a massive media spectacle. This isn't about professional expertise or following legal protocols; it's pure manipulation. Lovrić knows exactly what's happening, but as long as she's being fed whatever she wants to hear, she’s going to keep playing along.
Usranko Lovrić quickly edited his post, and now he’s acting like Tomić was the one who called him a coward. Honestly, Lovrić doesn't have the guts, and he's definitely going to face the music tomorrow. 🤣 Where does an expert like this go after his time at the Banovina? He’ll probably head straight into the private sector...
Usranko Lovrić Quote
Dalibor Lovrić
The way Kvočka is being used—exactly how Tomić appropriately calls it—is nothing more than a calculated political stunt designed to promote Mayor Puljko. This isn't about expertise, technical knowledge, or following the law; it’s pure manipulation. For a liberal populist like Puljko, this works perfectly as long as it serves his interests. Desperate, frustrated citizens end up clinging to this drama because they mistakenly believe it somehow benefits them. Kvočka knows exactly what she's doing, too. As long as she’s singing Puljko's praises and attacking the opposition or the national government, she’ll keep chasing that clout because she has nowhere else to go. But don't expect anything of substance from her; you can't make a good meal out of old scraps.