Shortly after leaving office, he released a three-page letter entitled "Why I Did Not Resign" in which he acknowledges that the conversation in the leaked recording crossed a line at several points but claims that the councilmembers were only trying to ensure that Latinos were adequately represented in redistricting. "Seeing my elders having to dig through the recycling bin every week, the blue trash cans, trying to make ends meet. The question is how you deal with that tension. As Angelenos processed the furor, calls for solutions focused on whether the citys redistricting process had been changed and whether it might have been corrupted. Stefanie Dazio/AP [24] In the recordings, Cho also disparages clubs backing Soto-Martnez including the East Area Progressive Democrats and Democratic Socialists of America by saying "they don't actually go outside" and "that's why they're so pale." My work speaks for itself. [8] Herrera's home local union, Teamsters Local 396, joined multiple Teamsters locals in calling for him to leave. Last week, Cedillo apologized for his involvement in the recorded conversation, saying he should have intervened. Mr. de Len issued this statement on Monday: There were comments made in the context of this meeting that are wholly inappropriate; and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private. Hernandez has already declared victory in this race, with a small number of votes outstanding. "I don't know what village they came (from), how they got here. The city charter allows the Council to force members out under limited circumstances, including if they are convicted of crimes or leave the city for an extended period. As more and more people crowd into the council chambers, signs, shirts and chants have made it clear that most are here to demand resignations. Its the prerogative of a boy who is too young to really understand what was going on. O'Farrell said the two men should not show up at Tuesday's meeting, which will be held virtually Tuesday because two members have tested positive for COVID-19 since the Oct. 11 meeting. Eunisses Hernandez, who appears to have unseated Gil Cedillo on the Los Angeles City Council, hopes to shift funding priorities for the LAPD and other agencies. Mr. Bonin, a white council member whose Black child was a target of some of the racist remarks, said that while he was still processing what had happened, he and his husband were both feeling raw and angry and heartbroken and sick., Through tears, Mr. Bonin said, I take a lot of hits, and I know I practically invite a bunch of them. His statement was issued jointly with his husband, Sean Arian. Mr. Bidens spokeswoman called the language used on the tape unacceptable and appalling.. Los Angeless 12th district seat was held by Mitchell Englander from 2011-18, and he was the Council's only Republican. Those new arrivals may have a sharply different idea of who should lead the body. "[45] On October 12, she announced her resignation from the city council. Councilmember Paul Krekorian tested positive Monday and was experiencing mild symptoms, his spokesperson said. Bass wants to maintain the police force, increase the overall budget, and free up more officers to patrol as a response to voters reports of feeling unsafe. "[25][26], In response, Alex Mohajer, president of the Stonewall Democrats, proclaimed that the club is "not for sale" and accused Cho of working to decide the endorsements of the organization by being placed in their endorsement panels. He is someone that has helped to bridge a divide in his own district, she said. She is not going to help us. Los Angeles Councilwoman Nury Martinez resigns following her leaked racist remarks, What the city council scandal reveals about LA's racial divides and solidarity. But these partnership now face unprecedented challenges. She used a Spanish term to compare his young Black son to a little monkey. White Angelenos, with more than 28 percent of the population, have long controlled much of the citys wealth and power. The decades-old advocacy organization, which focuses particularly on educational and business opportunities for Black people, called for the city to conduct an investigation to determine the extent to which the racial animus displayed by these elected officials has impacted any other decisions made by the City Council.. 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. But Im also prepared to serve in any other way that I can to advance this reform agenda and to begin the healing process that our city so desperately needs right now.. He canceled Friday's meeting, saying the council couldn't conduct business until the two men resigned. City Council president and member for the Sixth District; her term as council member ends in 2024. I really dont. De Len has vowed to serve out the rest of his term through 2024. Required fields are marked *. Ms. Martinez complained that on a parade float on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mr. Bonin had failed to control his son and said that the childs antics had nearly tipped the float over. While Cedillo has lost his bid for a third term, he serves for another six months, until December. Whoops! On social media last week, she wrote, Now the hard work begins. [50] Video of the incident was captured and subsequently released, showing that the physical altercation started when a community activist blocked de Len while the latter attempted to exit the building, and ending with de Leon's hands near the activist's neck. 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. Even in an era in which the boundaries of political speak have seemingly evaporated, a nearly 80-minute recording of Los Angeles leaders mocking people in racist terms is still powerful enough to shock the nations second-largest city. Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, during a news conference in January. Los Angeles is a kind of microcosm of the world; its roughly four million residents speak a combined 200-plus languages at home. We must stay rooted in not leaving people behind and uplifting and taking the lead of directly impacted people. Complicating matters further, Krekorian tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, raising the prospect that a continued outbreak among councilmembers could force the body to meet several more days via Zoom. Rick Caruso, working for mayor within the citys November election, also known as on Martinez and De Leon to resign from their places of work, along with Cedillo. Mr. Bonin, who represents several of Los Angeless Westside neighborhoods, said he first learned of the remarks, which were made in a meeting in 2021, about his son when speaking to The Los Angeles Times on Saturday. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Lon, who participated in the meeting in which the former council president made racist remarks, are no longer on the dais. After weeks of silence, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo has conceded defeat in his bid for re-election, with final election tallies confirming an upset victory for community activist. Both men appeared at the Oct. 11 meeting but walked out after being jeered by raucous protesters who demanded they leave. As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal. 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I am prepared to do that job if the members want me to serve in that position, he said. I think given the moment that were in, I believe those are skill sets that are highly valued.. L.A. Councilmember Kevin de Len, left, and former Council President Nury Martinez confer at a meeting on Oct. 4, 2022 . He said Monday he is experiencing only cold-like symptoms. In the ensuing exchange, Mr. de Len referred to Mr. Bonin as the councils fourth Black member and joked with Ms. Martinez that Mr. Bonin carried his adopted son, who is Black, as if the toddler were a designer handbag. If a member resigns, the Council could also call a special election for voters to choose a replacement, according to the City Clerks office. The recording has also derailed their personal ambitions. Cedillo has been absent from council meetings for the past two weeks. Mr. Bonin also said those residents told him about coordinated efforts to weaken progressives voices and undermine people trying to build multiracial coalitions in Los Angeles. 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. Raman is up for re-election in 2024. 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. Your email address will not be published. "That's not who I am, and I did nothing that warranted it. 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 server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). 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. 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. [21] The committee cleared her for reconsideration by the council the next day, and Hutt was confirmed by the council in the next meeting and sworn in on September 2, 2022. I think we should, but its unclear.. Mr. Cedillo and Mr. de Lon then walked out of the chambers. The City Council members Kevin de Len, Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo have apologized for the crude remarks heard on an audio recording leaked over the weekend, but still face calls to resign from their posts. A metropolis council assembly the earlier day the first since news of the recording broke was interrupters by demonstrators filling the chambers, demanding the councilmembers resignation. He's with the Blacks", referring to District Attorney George Gascn. Los Angeles City Council President Resigns After Audio Leak Of Racist Remarks, Tucker Carlson Top Author Resigns After Alleged Racist, Sexist Posts, Netflix Reduces Subscription Costs In Over 30 Countries, Cuts To Snap Benefits Puts Pressure On Food Banks. Let me take him around the corner, and then Ill bring him back.. I sincerely apologize to the people I hurt with my words: to my colleagues, their families, especially to Mike, Sean and your son. [29], Los Angeles Council District 11 candidate Traci Park rejected the endorsements of Martinez and Cedillo, which had been given before the release of the recording. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. She can also be heard to remark, "tan feos" (Spanish for "[they're] so ugly"). "But to resign for staying silent, with no look at who said what in that room, and ignoring the totality of my work and history? In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. Cedillo ended by claiming that there is a "modern version of McCarthyism" which is a danger to democracy, "not a defense.". Los Angeles City Council members Gil Cedillo, and Kevin De Leon attended Tuesday's council meeting briefly on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Los Angeles City Hall, Council Chambers. In a statement, she said, "At this moment, I need to take a leave of absence and take some time to have an honest and heartfelt conversation with my family, my constituents, and community leaders. Yet another scandal disrupts Los Angeles City Hall. She continued, "I was like, I don't know what village they came from, how they got here, but whatever." Some of the conversation focused on the influence of Black councilmembers and their allies, with de Leon referring derisively to Bonin, a white man, as the "fourth Black" on the council who wouldn't stand with Latinos. Currently, the council appoints the members and then has authority to approve the maps.Bonin, other council members and Democrats as prominent as President Joe Biden have called on de Leon and Cedillo to resign. There are no excuses, he said. December 13, 2022. Mayor Eric Garcetti is among the elected officials calling for three Los Angeles City Council members to resign. [13], In the course of the discussion on redistricting, she commented, "I see a lot of little short dark people there" in reference to Los Angeles Koreatown. The crowd at the City Council meeting erupts again in angry shouting after Mike Bonin finishes speaking about the racist comments regarding his son, and Mitch OFarrell, a council member who has drawn the ire of progressive activists over his handling of homelessness in his district, calls a recess to attempt to restore order. [2] Cedillo and de Len did not step down despite numerous calls for their resignations. By the end of the afternoon, the council was on the brink of a leadership fight, with at least two members competing to replace Nury Martinez, who resigned from the presidency last week and then stepped down from the council entirely. It was an awkward call for both candidates: Mr. Cedillo endorsed Mr. Caruso for mayor and Ms. Martinez endorsed Ms. Bass. Cedillo lost his seat in the primary and will be replaced in December. If any of the three were to resign, replacement members could be chosen by a vote of the other members of the Council. "Yes, I am an abolitionist and what does it mean? The City Council must take away her as Council President immediately, and she or he needs to resign from office. It hurts me that one of our sons earliest encounters with overt racism comes from a number of the strongest public officials in Los Angeles, Bonin said in a statement. He previously had a lengthy career in the California state legislature, serving in both the Assembly and Senate. But other incumbents beyond Lightfoot's appointees are probably headed for runoffs and uncertain futures. Bonin gave a speech saying, "My husband and I are both raw and angry and heartbroken, and sick for our family and for Los Angeles. Public officials are supposed to call us to our highest selves. OFarrell said he believes a special election should be called for Martinezs council seat as soon as possible. They revealed a plot to "buy" the support of several progressive non-profits and Democratic clubs, including the LA County Young Democrats and Stonewall Democratic Club (which Cho refers to as "the LGBT one"), in an effort to help O'Farrell defeat his challenger Hugo Soto-Martinez in the November 2022 runoff election. Protesters gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday. Jessica Pons for The New York Times, Sarah Morris/Getty Images, Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. ", "The voters go to work in Lincoln Heights and come home in Lincoln Heights," Cedillo said. A crowd disrupted the session, demanding that three members resign. Stephen Jn-Marie, a pastor and longtime activist in Los Angeles, said he participated in a Zoom call with roughly 60 Black organizers to discuss the audio recordings on Sunday night. 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. He lost his re- election bid to Eunisses Hernandez in June, months before the conversation between Cedillo, fellow council members Kevin de Len and Nury Martinez and Ron Herrera, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, was leaked. 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. He said in a statement on Monday that words matter, and racist language can do real harm, and added that he was encouraged that those involved in this have apologized and begun to take responsibility for their actions, but did not specifically call for any resignations. ", "I don't know where these people are from," Martinez said. In Eagle Rock, protesters continued their push to oust De Len, chanting slogans near his home and setting up camp for a lengthy stay. Gil Cedillo was long a lion of the Latino Left. Here is what each has said about the crude and racist remarks made during the meeting. Late Monday afternoon, the outgoing mayor, Eric Garcetti, who has been in a prolonged state of limbo as he awaits confirmation as the United States ambassador to India, said that all three council members should resign. After weeks of silence, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo has conceded defeat in his bid for re-election, with final election tallies confirming an upset victory for community activist and public policy advocate Eunisses Hernandez. I take a lot of hits, he says, adding, But my son?. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It was seconded by five other council members. Im here in downtown Los Angeles, where Representative Karen Bass, the front-runner in the citys mayoral race, is set to deliver brief remarks. Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Curren Price have publicly expressed interest in the post, which was held by Martinez for nearly three years. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. 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. The two changes are expected to sharply increase voter participation in the mayoral race, and both candidates have been aggressively courting Latino voters. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Although 20 percent of the Council seats are held by Black elected officials, Black Angelenos make up only 8.8 percent of the population. During the conversation, Ms. Martinez also weighed in on a dispute between two Black council members over whose district would include Exposition Park and the University of Southern California. Now hes under review. Little ones," Cedillo replied. The Oct. 13, 2021, indictment alleged that Mr. Ridley-Thomas had participated in a bribery scheme in which his son received free tuition from the University of Southern California in exchange for Ridley-Thomas supporting county contracts and lucrative contract amendments with the university.. [41][42], On October 10, Martinez stepped down as president through a released statement that apologized to Bonin and others, saying, "Therefore, effective immediately I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council," though she did not resign from her seat on the City Council. The KCAL News Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on KCALNews.com and CBSLA.com. Cedillo has said he should have objected to the language but didn't make derisive remarks himself. That asset, she noted, is in the district of a white council member, Mike Bonin, whom she referred to with a vulgarity. Let me take him around the corner, and then Ill bring him back.. Mr. Cedillo and Mr. de Len have given no indication that they will step down. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. Eunisses Hernandez (born 1990) is an American activist and politician, currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district since 2022. Cedillo, whose term ends in December, has been chair of the Housing Committee and served on the committee that reviews major development projects. December 12, 2022 / 3:12 PM David Zahniser covers Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. For the last nine years, we've lost 10% of the Latino community in Highland Park and this district is one of the only two districts that's lost double digits in community from displacement in the last census numbers.". Outside, before the session, protesters chanted fuera, or out in Spanish, demanding that the three council members resign. Now it is time for a new chapter of service to our city and our communities and a chance to spend more time with my family and loved ones. Soto earned 112,978 votes, or 19.9%, compared to Torres 112,842 votes, or 19.87%. The profanity-laced recording of Los Angeles leaders mocking people in racist terms has stunned the nations second-largest city. She also used a profanity while discussing Dist. In polls, Latino residents of the city repeatedly say that their Black neighbors understand them better than do any other ethnic group in Los Angeles, and vice versa, said Fernando Guerra, whose Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University regularly surveys the citys residents. De Len has expressed regrets about his actions, saying he appeared to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family.. O'Farrell has spoken with Cedillo and said he is "reconciling his feelings about this transgression and understood the gravity of the moment." 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. Blumenfield said the group discussed the presidency as part of a larger conversation about moving the city forward. ", 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.". And they don't want us.". The L.A. City Council racist tape scandal captures him as a sad Chicanosaurus. . "[47] On October 20, 2022, de Len said he would not resign and that he planned to serve out the remainder of his term. Nearly drowned out by a circling LAPD helicopter last week in Chinatown, 32-year-old Hernandez told Eyewitness News how she would re-assess the department's budget if the election results hold in council District 1 and Hernandez replaces longtime L.A. politician Cedillo, who has served on the city council for nine years. L.A. Councilmember Kevin de Len, left, and former Council President Nury Martinez confer at a meeting on Oct. 4, 2022. A Black speaker said she wanted an investigation into all decisions that have affected Black people in Los Angeles. Hernandez prevailed in the District 1 race with 16,108 votes, or 54.04%, while Cedillo collected 13,700 votes, or 45.96%. If elected, Hernandez says she doesn't have the power to abolish the LAPD, but would invest in housing and jobs which she believes would prevent crime before it happens, rather than reacting to it afterwards. There are 1,334 unreturned vote-by-mail ballots, according to the Chicago . Thats how I see it. I look forward to closing out my time on City Council, finishing projects and preparing to serve in a new way.. De Len and Cedillo who, like their colleagues, earn more than $229,000 annually have avoided council and committee meetings in recent days. Theyre raising him like a little white kid, Ms. Martinez said on the recording. The audio has set off an unprecedented disaster in civic leadership, as City Hall already has been rocked by a collection of corruption scandals. If the council members do not resign, they cannot be forced to leave.