Mayor Karen Bass's campaign circulated a deleted Instagram video Wednesday, Oct. 7, in which challenger Nithya Raman appears to link Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to the phrase "fascist liars."

The video, first reported by LA Magazine, was recorded Sunday, Oct. 4, when Raman sat for interviews with multiple content creators. Creator Ed Choi asked Raman to repeat the phrase "only you can stop fascist liars." Bass's face appeared on screen as Raman spoke, according to LA Magazine.

Raman's campaign said in a statement that the councilmember was referring to ICE officers and the detention of immigrants in Los Angeles, not to Bass or McDonnell. The campaign said it was Choi's choice to put Bass's image on screen and that the campaign asked him to take the video down.

In the same video, Raman said she would appoint a police chief who prioritizes the city's immigrant community and criticized the use of tear gas against protesters.

"LAPD under this police chief and under this mayor has tear gassed protestors … something that they weren't even doing in 2020, and that needs to end," Raman said in the video.

Bass, in a statement released the same day, accused Raman of insulting police officers and drew a comparison to President Donald Trump's recent statements about Iran bombing Los Angeles and San Diego.

"She's wanted to defund the police and has repeatedly voted against police budgets and hiring additional officers that our city desperately needs," Bass said.

FPPC complaints allege missing ad disclosures

The video dispute follows complaints filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) the week before Oct. 7. Two social media influencers, Kaitlyn Hennessy and Beatrice Gomberg, alleged that Raman's campaign repeatedly paid content creators to promote her without proper disclosure. Bass's campaign said it referred the two to campaign attorneys who helped file the complaints.

The complaints focused on posts by comedian Adam Conover and Eric Cheng, described by LA Magazine as an influencer-turned-Raman staffer. Several videos included "Paid for by" disclaimers in their captions but not displayed on the video itself. One video by Cheng about Bass's alleged approval of a $500 million aerial gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium had no disclaimer at all, according to Bass's campaign.

Under FPPC rules, a "Paid for by" line in a caption does not satisfy the disclosure requirement for video ads. The disclaimer must appear on screen for at least four seconds in text at least 4% of the screen's height, according to the commission's campaign manual.

Raman's campaign denied any wrongdoing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1130 into law in September, giving the FPPC new authority to fine influencers up to $5,000 per violation for failing to disclose paid political content. Violations can also be referred to law enforcement as potential misdemeanors.

Ballots already in hand

The clashes come with ballots already in voters' hands. Vote-by-mail ballots began going out Oct. 1, and the runoff is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found Raman leading Bass 39% to 28% among likely voters, with 33% undecided, KTLA reported. Both candidates have raised about $2.5 million, but Raman reported roughly $1.9 million still available compared with Bass's $1.2 million.

The exact filing date of the FPPC complaints and the commission's timeline for reviewing them have not been made public.