Democratic Donor Ed Buck Hit With $2M Judgment for Gemmel Moore Death

The mother of Gemmel Moore, a man killed by convicted Democratic donor Ed Buck, has been award $2 million by a federal jury in Los Angeles for the wrongful death of her son.

The civil trial began this week, with the jury reaching a verdict on Wednesday, March 4.

“I miss my son every single day. There isn’t a moment that goes by that I don’t think about him,” LaTisha Nixon said in a statement provided to Urban Hollywood 411 via family advocate Jasmyne Cannick.

“This verdict doesn’t bring him back, but it gives me some peace knowing someone was finally held accountable for what happened to Gemmel,” Nixon added.

“Gemmel Moore’s life mattered,” said Cannick.

“For years Ed Buck moved through Democratic political circles in Los Angeles as a donor and insider while vulnerable Black men were being harmed in his home,” Cannick stated.

Buck, now 71, was convicted on nine federal counts in 2021, including distribution of methamphetamine resulting in death; distribution of methamphetamine; and enticement to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.

The case against the businessman stemmed from the overdose deaths of Moore in 2017 and Timothy Dean in 2019. Both men were Black and gay, and died in Buck’s apartment in West Hollywood.

The defense countered that the men had serious health problems, which led to their deaths.

Prosecutors said for years Buck “solicited” men to “consume narcotics” and perform sexual favors. Many of the men Buck lured to his apartment were experiencing homelessness and struggling with addiction.

The businessman would hold so-called “party and play” sessions, and inject men with methamphetamine and sedatives, with or without their consent, prosecutors said.

During the criminal trial, some of the survivors said Buck “put sedatives” in their drinks, causing them to lose consciousness or control of their bodies.

According to the prosecution, Buck sexually assaulted the victims while they were unconscious, and “degraded” the men “with racial slurs.”

In 2022, Buck was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. Nixon filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit after Buck was convicted.

The businessman previously donated money to prominent politicians, including former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, California Congressman Ted Lieu, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It took years for Buck to be arrested and eventually tried, with critics saying he was protected because he is white, wealthy, and politically connected.

Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file charges against him.

Hussain Turk, an attorney for Moore’s family, called Buck a “monster” in a statement Wednesday and said local leaders ignored his crimes.

“The verdict is about holding not just Ed Buck accountable, but West Hollywood accountable for continuing to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of the most marginalized members of the gay community under the guise of ‘partying’ and ‘sexual freedom,’” said Turk.

A documentary on the case titled Beyond Ed Buck was released in 2022 on the AllBlk streaming platform, and said Buck committed crimes “in plain sight.”

According to prosecutors, Buck had a “fetish” and allegedly got off on injecting men with meth until they passed out. In two cases, the men died.

“Ed Buck preyed on young Black males who were vulnerable, isolated and were often fighting addiction,” Kristi K. Johnson, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s L.A. Field Office, said in a statement in 2022 after Buck was sentenced.

This week’s civil trial was the first of what is expected to be many.

According to Cannick, a second trial is upcoming in the case of Dane Brown, who survived an overdose in Buck’s apartment but has since died.

In 2019, the Los Angeles Times publised an analysis of every California politician who received donations from Buck.

The list included then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, city council members, members of the state’s congressional delegation, local prosecutors and the governor. Part of that list is below, although some of the politicians no longer hold the positions listed.

Ted Lieu
U.S. Rep. (D-Torrance)
$25,600

Mike Feuer
L.A. City Attorney
$18,400

John Duran
West Hollywood Council member
$12,500

Adam B. Schiff
U.S. Rep. (D-Burbank)
$2,700

Xavier Becerra
State Attorney General (D)
$2,500

Gavin Newsom (D)
Governor
$2,100