Santa Monica California in "fiscal distress" after $230 million payouts to victims of their pedophile police staffer Eric Uller
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2025 8:39 am
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SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - A once-thriving California city has declared 'fiscal distress' after paying $230 million to victims of a former police staffer involved in a sexual abuse scandal - an expense now pushing the city to the brink of financial ruin.
The seaside town of Santa Monica - particularly its once-lively downtown shopping district - has been hit hard by years of unnecessary spending, new tariffs, and the lingering effects of the pandemic.
But city officials say the primary factor pushing Santa Monica toward full-blown collapse is the alleged sexual abuse by former police dispatcher Eric Uller.
Uller preyed on children in predominantly Latino neighborhoods of the city, patrolling in either an unmarked police car or a personally owned SUV equipped with police gear, according to court records obtained by The Los Angeles Times.
For decades, Uller also molested dozens of kids while volunteering at the Police Activities League (PAL) - a nonprofit serving underprivileged youth - during the 1980s and 1990s.
It wasn’t until 2018 that he was arrested, but he died by suicide later that year while awaiting trial.
The horrific case sparked a mountain of lawsuits accusing Santa Monica of negligence and even covering up the abuse - claims that have resulted in litigation costs that continue to burden the city.
'The financial situation the city is dealing with is certainly serious,' city manager Oliver Chi said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, according to the outlet.
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