Outrageous reason LA County CEO was awarded $2m payout for ‘hurt feelings’ that’ll see her take months off taxpayer-funded $570,000-a-year job

The taxpayer-funded CEO of Los Angeles County was quietly awarded $2million after she complained about a ballot measure that she claims will force her out of her job and bruise her ‘reputation’.

Fesia Davenport, who earns a hefty $570,000 per year for overseeing the county’s government operations, secretly entered the handsome settlement in mid-August.

The agreement, first reported by the LAist on Tuesday, vaguely indicated Davenport sought out compensation for ‘reputation, embarrassment, and emotional distress’ she sustained on the job.

Adding to the confusion, Davenport took an abrupt, months-long leave from work – citing undisclosed medical reasons – just a week before the confidential agreement was made public.

But recently unearthed letters written by Davenport have revealed that the mysterious settlement stemmed from a dispute about a voter-approved charter amendment called Measure G.

Measure G, which was proposed last July and passed that November, will change the county CEO role from a board-appointed position to a voter-elected one by 2028.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn introduced the measure as a way to implement a slew of much-needed reforms within the county government.

About six weeks after its July proposal, Davenport reached out to Horvath with concerns about what it meant for her future with the county counsel.

Fesia Davenport (pictured), who earns a hefty $570,000 per year for overseeing the county's government operations, secretly entered the handsome settlement in mid-August

Fesia Davenport (pictured), who earns a hefty $570,000 per year for overseeing the county’s government operations, secretly entered the handsome settlement in mid-August

Davenport has been the CEO of LA County since 2021 (pictured: the City of LA)

Davenport has been the CEO of LA County since 2021 (pictured: the City of LA)

In the notice obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Davenport claimed the measure had bruised her ‘professional reputation.’

‘It has created uncomfortable, awkward interactions between me and my CEO team (they are concerned), me and other department heads (they are apologetic), and even County outsiders (they think I am being fired),’ she wrote.

Davenport alleged the measure would put an end to her career at least two years earlier than she anticipated, according to a separate letter.

Measure G will not only change the CEO position to a voter-elected one in 2028, but will also place term limits on the position.

Currently, Davenport – who assumed the role in 2021 – has no term limit, but can be replaced at any point.

When the voter-elected CEO aspect of the measure goes into effect, county executives will have to be elected every four years.

In 2028, Davenport will have already served in her position for about seven years.

In a July 8 letter to county counsel Dawyn Harrison, reviewed by the LA Times, Davenport said the measure had an ‘unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement.’

It was in this letter that Davenport formally demanded the eye-watering sum.

In a July 8 letter to county counsel Dawyn Harrison (pictured) Davenport said the measure had an 'unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement'

In a July 8 letter to county counsel Dawyn Harrison (pictured) Davenport said the measure had an ‘unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement’

Public records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicated that Davenport owns a gorgeous $2.2million mansion in LA's View Park historic district (pictured)

Public records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicated that Davenport owns a gorgeous $2.2million mansion in LA’s View Park historic district (pictured)

She claimed that ‘measure G has irrevocably changed my life, my professional career, economic outlook, and plans for the future.’

Days before the settlement was solidified, Davenport sent another letter, rattling off the names of other county counsel leaders who were handed generous payouts when they left their roles.

One of the department heads mentioned was Sachi Hamai, a former LA CEO who retired in 2020 with a $1.5million settlement after accusing one of the county’s top police officers of ‘unrelenting and brutal’ harassment.

Davenport also referenced former county attorneys Mary Wickham and Rodrigo Castro-Silva, who received $449,000 and $213,000, respectively, upon their departures, the LA Times reported.

‘My circumstance is different in that I am not seeking to leave, and I have suffered damages, through no fault of my own,’ Davenport wrote in the August letter.

Upon entering the deal, Davenport waived her right to sue over anything that had transpired, including over ‘any claims arising out of the facts and circumstances surrounding the enactment of the ballot proposition known as “Measure G.”‘

The agreement also mandated that Davenport keep its contents ‘strictly private and confidential.’

She was also barred from causing or inducing ‘any other person or entity to make, negative statements or communications disparaging’ the Board of Supervisors and other officials.

According to her government profile, Davenport (pictured) filled several leadership positions within the county

About six weeks after its July proposal, Davenport reached out to Lindsey Horvath (pictured) with concerns about what it meant for her future with the county counsel

On October 7, Davenport – who is responsible for overseeing the county’s expansive $52.5billion budget – announced last week she was taking a leave of absence until the start of next year.

According to an internal email obtained by LAist, Davenport notified her team the night before she started her hiatus.

Davenport’s office told the LAist her leave was for unspecified medical reasons, but plans to return, despite her claims that Measure G has made her job obsolete.

In the meantime, her shoes will be filled by Joe Nicchitta, the county’s deputy CEO.

According to her government profile, Davenport filled several leadership positions within the county, including roles with the Office of Child Protection and the Child Support Services Department.

She holds a law degree from UC Hastings and has spent her career as a ‘driving force behind transformative initiatives, fostering collaboration across departments, public-private sectors, and governmental agencies.’

Public records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicated that Davenport owns a property in Compton, as well as a gorgeous $2.2million mansion in LA’s View Park historic district.

This year, under Davenport’s leadership, LA County agreed to pay $4billion to settle about 7,000 claims of ‘horrific’ child abuse that occurred in juvenile facilities and foster care homes.

One of the department heads mentioned was Sachi Hamai (pictured), a former LA CEO who retired in 2020 with a $1.5million settlement

The allegations date back to 1959, with most incidents occurring from the 1980s to the 2000s.

‘On behalf of the County, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,’ Davenport said in a statement, weeks before the settlement was officially approved in April.

Earlier in April, Davenport expressed concerns over the county’s financial state.

‘We are in uncharted territory with these simultaneous pressures on our budget,’ she said in a statement.

‘Any of these alone would be daunting, but taken together these challenges – the wildfires, the AB 218 (sex abuse) settlement, the threat of deep cuts in federal funding – are cause for great concern.’

The final Fiscal Year 2025-2026 LA County Budget, which went into effect on October 1, included 5.5 percent budget cuts that impacted a variety of public programs.

About 1,125 jobs countywide have been eliminated, including public health, social services and sheriff positions.

The county counsel has declined to comment on the matter.