WASHINGTON — Just five days before the mayoral primary this month, the nation’s top housing official made an unusual appearance with Rep. Karen Bass in Los Angeles, helping the mayoral candidate make a show that she would tackle the city’s homeless crisis by summoning friends in the federal government.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge’s visit to a subsidized apartment building was technically in her official capacity, paid for with U.S. tax dollars rather than Bass campaign funds.
Fudge’s presence, however, fit neatly with Bass’ central campaign argument — that her lifetime in Democratic politics and national connections are an asset in fixing the city’s most urgent problems.
