Second man found dead in Hollywood home of Democratic donor Ed Buck

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/424328-second-man-found-dead-in-hollywood-home-of-democratic-donor-ed-buck

A man was found dead at the Hollywood home of top Democratic donor Ed Buck on Monday, less than two years after a 2017 investigation into the death of another man who died from an overdose at his place.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, paramedics went to Buck’s apartment in West Hollywood early Monday morning, but after trying to revive the man, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to KTLA.

The man’s name hasn’t been released, but authorities described him as a black man in his 50s.

Authorities are opening an investigation into Monday’s death, which comes a year-and-a-half after Gemmel Moore, a 26-year-old gay male escort, died in 2017 of a methamphetamine overdose in Buck’s home.

"It is suspicious that this has happened twice now," Lt. Derrick Alfred told KTLA in an interview. “So we're going to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if it is criminal in nature."

Officials said Buck was around during Monday morning’s incident, but told KTLA that he hasn’t been arrested and isn’t named a suspect.

Buck was not immediately reachable by The Hill.

Buck’s attorney, Seymour Amster, said the prominent donor isn’t responsible for either death and told reporters that Buck has been friends with the man who died on Monday for 25 years, KTLA reported.

In 2017, Moore’s death was ruled an accident. The investigation was reopened due to pressure from Moore’s family and friends, but the Los Angeles County district attorney didn’t file charges against Buck because of “insufficient evidence.”

Buck, who has worked on LGBT issues, has donated money to prominent Democrats including former President Obama, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and newly minted Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), the first openly bisexual person elected to the Senate.

A review of Federal Election Commission records by NBC News found that Buck has contributed $53,000 to Democratic candidates and House Democrats’ campaign arm.

Half a dozen Democrats who have received contributions from Buck have donated or returned that money, according to Fox News.

Following the death of the second man on Monday morning, a crowd of protesters amassed outside of Buck’s home. Protesters chanted “arrest him now,” according to The Daily Beast.