LA Rep Donates Controversial Contributions To LGBT Groups

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, said Tuesday he would be donating campaign contributions from prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck to five gay and civil rights organization. The announcement comes a day after a second man was found dead at Buck's West Hollywood apartment.

The representative said he would donate $5,000 each to Lambda Legal and the NAACP, $3,000 each to GLAAD and The Trevor Project, and $2,500 to the Equality California Institute. Lieu represents California's 33rd congressional district, which includes most of West LA, South Bay and the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula.

"I am deeply disturbed by the latest revelations of a second death by overdose at the home of Ed Buck," Lieu said.

A man was found dead early Monday at Buck's apartment. The man's name has not been released and his cause of death was under investigation by the county coroner's office, Deputy Charles Moore of the Sheriff's Information Bureau said.

Buck made headlines when the body of 26-year-old Gemmel Moore was found at the same apartment on July 27, 2017. The coroner's office ruled Moore's death an accidental methamphetamine overdose, to the dismay of his family.

Buck was present at the location when both deaths occurred, according to the sheriff's department.

The sheriff's department said the District Attorney's Office will be closely involved in reviewing the latest case, as it was in the Moore case, which will also be the subject of "a secondary review" by sheriff's homicide detectives.

Buck's attorney, Seymour Amster, has denied that Buck had any involvement in either death.

Los Angeles County prosecutors last July 26 declined to pursue criminal charges against Buck stemming from Moore's death.

According to a charge-evaluation worksheet prepared by the District Attorney's Office, the evidence was "insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (Buck) is responsible for the death of Gemmel Moore. Likewise, the admissible evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that suspect Buck furnished drugs to Gemmel Moore or that suspect Buck possessed drugs."

Related: Another Man Found Dead At Democratic Donor Ed Buck's House

City News Service contributed to this post; BEVERLY HILLS, CA - NOVEMBER 11: Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) speaks onstage at the ACLU's Annual Bill of Rights Dinner at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 11, 2018 in Beverely Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)