Alberto Carvalho search: FBI raids of LAUSD Supt. alberto carvalho's home and office tied to AI chatbot probe
Federal authorities raided the home and office of Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. alberto carvalho on Wednesday morning in what appears tied to a probe of the AI chatbot project for the nation’s second-largest school system. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Searches executed at San Pedro residence and LAUSD headquarters
Federal agents carried out searches at Carvalho’s San Pedro home and at the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U. S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, confirmed Wednesday morning that law enforcement was "executing a judicially approved search warrant" at Carvalho’s home and at the district headquarters, and he also confirmed a search in Florida but declined to comment further.
Florida address in Southwest Ranches linked to AllHere consultant Debra Kerr
The FBI provided an address in Florida that was searched Wednesday morning. FBI agents searched a residence in Southwest Ranches, a town in Broward County, Fla., an FBI spokesman in Miami said. Public record databases show that the Florida property is listed to Debra Kerr, a salesperson whose clients included AllHere. Neither the FBI nor confidential sources identified Kerr on Wednesday as a target of the investigation, and attempts to contact Kerr were unsuccessful.
AllHere, its founder’s charges, and the withdrawn LAUSD chatbot
One source with knowledge of the matter said the investigation involved AllHere, a failed AI company whose founder was charged with fraud in 2024. Joanna Smith-Griffin, the founder and former chief executive of AllHere, was arrested in 2024 and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. By then, the envisioned LAUSD chatbot—known as "Ed"—had been withdrawn from service. Ed was an artificial intelligence tool billed by Carvalho in August 2024 as revolut unclear in the provided context.
Investigators focus on Carvalho and financial questions
Authorities have not provided detailed information about the probe. The FBI declined to share more information, citing that the affidavits have been sealed by the court. Law enforcement sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the federal investigation specifically involves Carvalho, who has served as LAUSD superintendent since February 2022. People familiar with the probe said the focus was Carvalho as opposed to LAUSD and that it would fall under the broad category of financial issues.
Longstanding ties between Debra Kerr and Carvalho, and unpaid commission claim
Public records and prior reporting tie Kerr to Carvalho going back to his tenure as superintendent in Miami. Kerr has worked as a consultant to AllHere and has claimed in court documents that the company owes her $630, 000. Previous accounts say Kerr told reporters that AllHere never paid her a commission owed for work closing the AllHere deal in Los Angeles, and that her son, Richard, is a former AllHere account executive who said he pitched the company to L. A. school leaders.
LAUSD notified and cooperating
LAUSD that they had been informed of the law enforcement activity and were cooperating with the investigation, and that they provided no additional details. The unfolding searches at Carvalho’s San Pedro home, at LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, and at the Southwest Ranches, Fla., residence tie the district matter to the AllHere-related inquiries being pursued by federal authorities.
