LA Mayor Karen Bass, LA28 Chief Casey Wasserman on ’28 Olympics Plans

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 chief Casey Wasserman detailed their early planning for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games during a panel held Tuesday as part of CNBC’s Game Plan conference in Santa Monica.

Wasserman faced an uncomfortable few minutes toward the end of the session when moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin pressed him on a report in July published by the U.K. tabloid Daily Mail that accused him of being a “serial philanderer” who had numerous alleged workplace affairs. Wasserman dismissed that report and vowed that he will not step down from his unpaid LA28 role at the organization tasked with executing the three-week event.

“If the Daily Mail qualifies as reporting, we’re all in trouble,” Wasserman said. “People can say whatever they want, without facts, without corroboration. … I’m going to do my job and do it to the end. That’s the commitment I made.”

Bass offered a big clarification about her plan for limiting car use during the games. Her previous remarks had been interpreted by some that the city would clamp down on car use. Bass said they hope to limit cars driving to the various Olympic venues. “Life goes on in the city,” she said. “We hope to do no cars to the venues.”

Bass noted that the last time the Olympics came to Los Angeles, in 1984, arrangements were made to lessen the amount of regular traffic on the roads. She noted that 40 years ago, then Mayor Tom Bradley arranged so that truck deliveries were made at night rather than during the day.

“We can organize the region so that traffic will be less and manageable,” she said.

(Pictured: Andrew Ross Sorkin and Karen Bass)

More to come