LA District Attorney Claims 80-81% of $4 Billion Sex Abuse Settlement Claims May Be Fraudulent
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has filed a motion asking a judge to freeze payments in the $4 billion LA County sex abuse settlement — the largest in U.S. history — alleging up to 81 percent of claims may be fraudulent. The settlement, finalized in April 2025, covers more than 11,000 claims of sexual abuse in county-run juvenile halls, foster homes, and children's shelters dating back to 1959. The case raises serious concerns about the integrity of large-scale abuse settlements and the potential exploitation of genuine survivors.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed a motion Thursday asking a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to halt payments in the $4 billion sex abuse settlement until December 31, citing an ongoing criminal investigation launched in November 2024. Hochman's office stated that as many as 81 percent of claims — out of more than 11,000 total — may be fraudulent, a figure he says emerged from investigative work following an LA Times investigation that identified nine plaintiffs who alleged they were paid by recruiters to join the lawsuit, four of whom said their claims were entirely fabricated. The settlement, reached in April 2025, covers allegations of sexual abuse at LA County Probation Department facilities and the now-closed MacLaren's Children's Center, with abuse alleged to have occurred as far back as 1959. The Downtown LA Law Group (DTLA), which represented all nine of the initially identified plaintiffs, has denied any wrongdoing, stating it rejected over 70 percent of cases brought to it and voluntarily underwent an independent third-party audit. Attorneys representing genuine victims expressed frustration, saying the freeze request further victimizes survivors who have already suffered. A hearing before Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff is scheduled for Monday at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles.
What's missing
The basis for Hochman's specific 81 percent figure — including the methodology or evidence underlying that estimate — is not explained in either source, which is a significant gap given the claim's magnitude. It is also unclear how many claims have already been paid out versus those still pending, which would affect the practical scope of the requested freeze.
How coverage differed
Both outlets reported the core facts similarly, but Fox News provided more detail on the LA Times investigation that triggered the probe and included a substantive denial from DTLA, giving a somewhat more balanced framing. The New York Post leaned more heavily on Hochman's statements and victim attorney quotes without as much representation from the accused law firm.
What different sources said
- Fox NewsRight
80% of claims in America's largest sexual abuse settlement in history could be fraudulent, LA DA says
- New York PostRight
LA DA Nathan Hochman says 81 percent of claims in $4B sex abuse settlement may be ‘fraudulent’
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