He led efforts to renovate and reopen The Forum and develop a plan for SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Hollywood Park.
[17][18] During Butts's tenure as Chief of Police, one of his direct reports was Eric Uller, the department's lead systems analyst who was accused of sexual abuse by over 200 people, many of whom were children at the time.
Despite not being a law enforcement officer, Uller was given an unmarked police vehicle for his personal use, which was considered by others in the department to be improper, and he allegedly used it to transport victims and commit his crimes.
[20] In 2006, Butts took a position as the head of security and law enforcement for Public Safety Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
[21] According to the Los Angeles Times, Butts improved training and discipline at LAWA and fostered better relationships with local law enforcement agencies.
[30] He was elected to the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 2014, succeeding Santa Monica Mayor Pam O'Connor.
She alleged Butts and his administration engaged in faulty accounting practices, fraudulent regulatory reporting, and reclassification of costs to depict a false financial picture.
[5] According to a March 2015 article in The Los Angeles Times, Butts made Inglewood an "unlikely frontrunner" as a potential home to an NFL team, but he was "criticized as dictatorial."
"[40] In 2018, an investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, Los Angeles County District Attorney and the FBI began into the award of a 2012 trash hauling pact contract.
[41][42] Butts was also found to have loaned $150,000 to the election campaigns of longtime Inglewood Councilman George Dotson and was accused of failing to disclose the status of repayments.
[43] In March 2018, the Madison Square Garden Co., which owns The Forum in Inglewood, filed a lawsuit against Butts and other city agencies for fraud and breach of contract.
Once MSG gave up the lease, they allege that Butts and the city of Inglewood engaged in secret talks with the Los Angeles Clippers to develop Intuit Dome on that land.
[44][45] The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office concluded in 2019 that the City of Inglewood violated state disclosure law during negotiations with the Clippers to build an arena.
[46] The officer suffered from broken ribs, nervous system damage, and permanent physical disability, and he and his wife filed a lawsuit against Butts and the city of Inglewood.
[48] After his election, he hired McDade-Dickens as his executive assistant and she was later promoted to aide to the city manager, with a salary of more than $300,000, yet Butts never disclosed their relationship.
[48] McDade-Dickens ended the relationship in March 2018 and she alleged that Butts took away some of her work responsibilities; barred her from meetings; yelled, cursed at and threatened her in the office; texted her hundreds of times; followed her to a salon to confront her about who she was dating; and entered her home without permission on more than a dozen occasions, standing over her bed to watch her sleep and frightening her daughter.
In August 2021, she filed a second lawsuit alleging that Butts continued to stalk and harass her and intimidate her clients, in order to destroy her business and interfere with her ability to earn a living.
The City Council later stripped Brown, a breast cancer patient who served in the role for 32 years, of many of her duties and cut her annual salary by 83% to $16,850.
[56] A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed the defamation portion of the lawsuit in September 2022 but the retaliation allegations were allowed to move forward.
[57] In October 2024, Inglewood's District 1 Councilwoman, Gloria Gray, filed a complaint against Butts, accusing him of creating a hostile work environment and engaging in intimidating and retaliatory behavior.
[61] In March 2021, Butts suffered a cardiac event in his office at Inglewood City Hall, which required emergency surgery and days of hospitalization.