After Ms. Martinez resigned from the council presidency but not her council seat on Monday, Mr. Caruso and then Ms. Bass joined calls for all three council members to step down. They were stripped of their committee assignments and chairmanships and were formally censured along with Martinez by the City Council in a unanimous 120 vote on October 26, 2022[3][4], In a closed door meeting at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor offices that lasted approximately one hour,[5][6] Martinez, Cedillo, de Len, and Herrera discussed specific councilmembers, redistricting, and how to "consolidate and preserve political power. Man, that makes my soul bleed., Mr. OFarrell, the council member leading the meeting, condemned the comments and the political maneuvering of his colleagues. The citys Black community, with a vibrant middle class and powerful community leaders like Tom Bradley, a former mayor, and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers star, has long wielded clout. Martinez resigned as president of the city council and announced that she would take a leave of absence; however, she had not resigned from her city council seat at that time, an action she would take on October 12. People should not ask me for forgiveness, Mr. Bonin said. The L.A. City Council racist tape scandal captures him as a sad Chicanosaurus. . Those new arrivals may have a sharply different idea of who should lead the body. But we also have to figure out the practicality of running the council.. She was the architect of successful Measure J, which calls for 10% of the countys unappropriated budget to be spent on programs that offer an alternative to incarceration. The audio recording captured a conversation between City Council president Nury Martinez, fellow councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (colloquially referred to as the "Fed") President Ron Herrera. Last week, Cedillo apologized for his involvement in the recorded conversation, saying he should have intervened. Members of the Los Angeles City Council could censure their three colleagues who were heard in a leaked recording that included racist and disparaging remarks. I think we should, but its unclear.. The Los Angeles Times initially reported a couple of leaked audio recording from an October 2021 assembly, in which Martinez, council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len and L.A. County Labor Federation President Ron Herrera made a number of controversial and racist remarks. The next day on October 10, 2022, Martinez resigned her presidency position but remained in her city council seat, as did the other city council members, despite numerous prominent calls for them to step down. The top finisher tonight was Faisal Gill, a civil rights attorney. I've reached out to that colleague personally. ", He later added: "For all my critics' calls for me to `do the right thing,' I say unequivocally that NOT resigning was the right thing.". De Len and Cedillo have given no indication in recent days that they intend to resign in the aftermath of The Times reporting on the leaked audio, which was recorded during a meeting at the L.A. County Federation of Labor headquarters in October 2021. Please enter valid email address to continue. He is condemning the racist comments and political maneuvering of his colleagues. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and U.S. I am prepared to do that job if the members want me to serve in that position, he said. It is my instinct to hold others accountable when they use derogatory or racially divisive language. Although 20 percent of the Council seats are held by Black elected officials, Black Angelenos make up only 8.8 percent of the population. Still, other efforts to recover from the crisis remain stalled. Anyone can read what you share. The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color. Those remarks echoed long-held complaints about representation and power in the city. Tuesdays meeting will also allow the council to begin exploring a number of reform measures, including the first step toward asking voters to expand the size of the 15-member council. Los Angeless outgoing mayor, Eric Garcetti, was nominated by President Biden to be the American Ambassador to India in June 2021. MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Los Angeles Councilwoman Nury Martinez resigns following her leaked racist remarks, What the city council scandal reveals about LA's racial divides and solidarity. I look forward to closing out my time on City Council, finishing projects and preparing to serve in a new way.. In Eagle Rock, protesters continued their push to oust De Len, chanting slogans near his home and setting up camp for a lengthy stay. One of the three council members whose comments were on the recording, Kevin de Lon, just walked in, and people are shouting profanities at him. [49], In December 2022, de Len became involved in a fight with protestors at a community event. In the profanity-laced recording, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times and which was first reported by The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, the City Council president, Nury Martinez, who is Latina, compared the Black child of a white council member to a changuito, Spanish for little monkey. She also called Oaxacan immigrants living in Koreatown little short dark people., At another point in the private conversation, Ms. Martinez used an expletive in reference to the Los Angeles County district attorney, George Gascn, saying that hes with the Blacks.. It was an awkward call for both candidates: Mr. Cedillo endorsed Mr. Caruso for mayor and Ms. Martinez endorsed Ms. Bass. White Angelenos, particularly in the San Fernando Valley and on the citys affluent Westside, have long controlled the citys wealth and power, but they now represent only 28 percent of the population. [51], When the audio leaked in October 2022, Cedillo was already a lame duck; he had lost reelection to activist Eunisses Hernandez on June 7 and his term was set to expire in December. Acting L.A. City Council President Mitch O'Farrell arrives to a news conference where he announces he is removing Councilmen Kevin de Len and Gil Cedillo from committee assignments at Los. LA Times on 2022-10-15 14:04 Column: From Latino lion to Chicanosaurus: The sad fall of Gil Cedillo . Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register, via Associated Press. The leak of the audio had thrown LA metropolis politics in turmoil on Sunday, providing a uncommon look inside the political course of in Americas second largest city ahead of Novembers mayoral election. Martinez and Herrera both quickly resigned after the leak. I am so sorry to the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues, and the City of Los Angeles.. In Monday's statement, Cedillo was defiant that what he said -- or didn't say -- did not rise to the level of warranting resignation despite calls for resignation coming from as high up as President Joe Biden. December 13, 2022. Im so sorry. Oct. 17, 2022 Updated 8:15 PM PT The Los Angeles City Council struggled on Monday to find a way out of the crisis that has engulfed City Hall over the last week, with two embattled. But my son? OFarrell said he believes a special election should be called for Martinezs council seat as soon as possible. That asset, she noted, is in the district of a white council member, Mike Bonin, whom she referred to with a vulgarity. The three councilmembers discussed how to appoint a new councilmember who would work in their interests, and also agreed to gerrymander Councilmember Nithya Raman's district in order to suppress those who had voted for her. "In most people's memories, it's the first time there has been a censure motion heard against a councilmember," Council President Paul . There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. As of Tuesday morning, however, Gov. Mike Bonin, who represents several of Los Angeless Westside neighborhoods, gave an emotional speech calling for some of his colleagues to resign after his son was the target of some of the racist remarks heard in a leaked audio recording from a 2021 meeting. "[40] Bonin's family replied in a tweet condemning the racist comments and demanding Martinez's resignation. Early this year, Mr. Ridley-Thomas was expelled from the Council. Cedillo evaded questions about whether or not he would resign. After another raucous start to its meeting, the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 today to censure Councilmen Kevin de Len and Gil Cedillo for their roles in the City Hall racism scandal . [48], On October 27, 2022, a recall effort against De Len was accepted by the Los Angeles City Clerk's office. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, asked Monday evening whether the council would select a new president on Tuesday, responded: I dont know the answer to that. De Leon and Cedillo chimed in and laughed at some of the gossip. Constance L. Rice, a veteran civil rights lawyer in the city, said that efforts to work together tended to intensify during zero-sum contests such as the redrawing of political boundaries that occurs each decade. Hernandez has already declared victory in this race, with a small number of votes outstanding. Mayor Eric Garcetti is among the elected officials calling for three Los Angeles City Council members to resign. City Council member for the First District; due to leave office when his term ends in December after a primary defeat in June. "Ethnicity and income levels are major factors in drawing relatively balanced electoral maps, and we wanted to ensure that Latinos and all communities are represented fairly," Cedillo said. On Tuesday morning, he arranged a news conference ahead of the City Council meeting so folks could get the word out about how we feel and what must be done to move forward., According to Mr. Jn-Marie, the questions arising about redistricting were the most important. ", But Cedillo attempted to defend the discussion about redistricting, citing frustrations over Latinos not receiving a fair share of representation on the City Council relative to population. Periodically, speakers and protesters have shouted that there can be no city business until Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len have stepped down. At the meeting, Ron Herrera, who was the president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor before resigning over the recording, called the group "a little Latino caucus of our own" as they discussed how to undo maps drawn up by a commission to benefit themselves and shore up power. The two leading candidates in the closely fought race for mayor of Los Angeles: Rick Caruso, a white billionaire developer on the police commission, and Representative Karen Bass, who is Black and has represented the city in the Legislature and Congress for many years. The LAist, a local news outlet, said such an election would be likely if Ms. Martinez, whose term still has two years to run, were to resign. Acting Los Angeles City Council President Mitch O'Farrell discusses the ongoing scandal a week after a leaked recording of racist remarks by council members came to light during a news conference at City Hall in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. By a two-thirds vote, the City Council could censure or, formally express its disapproval of members whose actions the Council determined to be a gross failure to conform to the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. Separately, Los Angeles voters can recall members, but the process is not fast or easy: Forcing a recall election requires the support of at least 15 percent of the voters in the council members district. The question is how you deal with that tension. All those developments served as the backdrop for a crisis triggered by The Times reporting on racist comments heard in a recorded conversation among Cedillo, De Len, Martinez and Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The recording was so shocking that local and state leaders on Monday called for all involved to resign immediately. Because the Los Angeles County Registrar and Recorder does not identify which parts of Los Angeles still have uncounted ballots, the outcome of close races have been hard to call. OFarrell has said in recent days that he is determined to begin the work of restoring stability to City Hall, allowing residents to vent their anger but also ensuring the council holds meetings and fulfills its public duties. Mondays announcement comes at an extraordinarily turbulent time for the council, with one seat vacant and two others effectively dormant. They already must choose who will replace Ms. Martinez as the councils president. Prominent leaders call for the people involved to resign their posts. a recorded conversation laced with racist remarks. And probably in a district where more than half of them don't know who you are. We're building for higher income and that's displacing people," said Hernandez. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. De Len has vowed to serve out the rest of his term through 2024. According to the Los Angeles Times, Martinez made disparaging marks about how white council member Mike Bonin treated his Black son as an accent in a gathering from roughly one year ago. It will also discuss creating an independent redistricting commission. As a mother, I know better and I am sorry. Ms. Martinez is heard comparing the Black child of Councilman Mike Bonin to a changuito, Spanish for little monkey, and joking with Mr. de Len that Mr. Bonin carries the child around like a designer handbag. Im here in downtown Los Angeles, where Representative Karen Bass, the front-runner in the citys mayoral race, is set to deliver brief remarks. No one denies that the conversation crossed a line at several points, and I deeply regret not speaking up when it did. But Harris-Dawson also called for a delay in the presidency vote, saying no decision should be made until councilmembers have the ability to cast their votes in person. They had gathered to discuss how to create new City Council boundaries under the redistricting process. United States Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California. Cedillo, in the statement, said: "Conversations can also turn raw when people think they are speaking privately -- which happened that day. Martinez said it would serve them to not give Raman all of Koreatown because it would give Raman more renters in her district. It's always been on the community end," said Hernandez. LA Councilman Gil Cedillo, who lost his race for reelection in the June 7 th Primary to Democratic progressive Eunisses Hernandez in CD-1 has endorsed Venice attorney Traci Park to succeed the exiting Mike Bonin on the LA City Council. Clearly, I should have intervened. Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Curren Price have publicly expressed interest in the post, which was held by Martinez for nearly three years. The Black community in Los Angeles with 20 percent of the Council seats and powerful civic leaders dating back to Mayor Tom Bradley has wielded clout beyond its 8.8 percent share of the population. Los Angeles is a kind of microcosm of the world; its roughly four million residents speak a combined 200-plus languages at home. That contest, he said, should be accompanied by a special election for De Lens seat as well. A number of their council colleagues even have known as for them to step down. Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez at podium, and Mayor Eric Garcetti, standing to her right, are seen during a information convention at Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on April 1, 2022. An angry crowd seething with demands for justice and the resignation of three City Council members involved in a recorded conversation laced with racist remarks fell to a hush at Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday when Mike Bonin began to speak. As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal. But this year, for the first time, the mayoral election will be held in an even-numbered year, at the same time as Congressional and state races. Mr. Cedillo and Mr. de Len have given no indication that they will step down. In a highly unusual outcome for Los Angeles City Council, progressive activist Eunisses Hernandez appears to have unseated Eastside city councilman, Gil Cedillo, getting more than 2,000 votes over the incumbent. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022. Both had been on several high-profile committees, with Cedillo chairing the Housing Committee and De Leon chairing the Homelessness and Poverty Committee. The language that was used and tolerated in that conversation was unacceptable, and it was appalling.. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Tony Crdenas (D-Pacoima) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles). "I refused to resign before my term ended," Cedillo said. O'Farrell was previously connected to the scandal after he was referred to as Martinez's "guy" by Cedillo and "my guy" by Herrera during recordings in which the four strategized on how to ensure an O'Farrell re-election over an unnamed opponent representing "Housing Related Entities (HREs). by Contributing Editor October 26, 2022. Raman is up for re-election in 2024. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. ", "I don't know where these people are from," Martinez said. Mike Bonin, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, shed tears on Tuesday as he spoke about the racist comments directed toward his son. Sophie Gilchrist, an aide to City Council President Nury Martinez, said Cedillos absences were excused, but did not give a reason. Mr. Bidens spokeswoman called the language used on the tape unacceptable and appalling.. I am so sorry to the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues, and the City of Los Angeles. Though some politicians and advocates have called for the three members Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len to resign, none of the three had stepped down as of Tuesday afternoon. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Encino woman extradited from Montenegro to serve sentence for COVID loan fraud, LA County reaches $28.85 million settlement with Kobe Bryants family, Mullholland Drive to be closed at least 24 hours, home evacuated due to mud flow in Beverly Crest, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. On Monday, Ms. Bass called on Los Angeles City Council members Nury Martinez, Kevin de Len and Gil Cedillo to resign. [28], The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times called on all three politicians to resign in an op-ed article published October 10, 2022. 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