But it also highlighted the political impatience among leaders of the citys largest ethnic group: Latinos, who make up roughly half of the citys population but who hold only four of its 15 City Council seats. There are 1,334 unreturned vote-by-mail ballots, according to the Chicago . I want to thank the people of Los Angeles for giving me the opportunity to serve as their elected representative these past two and a half decades, he said. Cedillo said he has had "African American friends and mentors my entire life, from sports and school to politics," citing a previous job under Mayor Tom Bradley and roles as a delegate both for Jesse Jackson when he ran for president in 1988 and for Barack Obama in 2008. De Len had spent the last year presiding over the councils Homelessness and Poverty Committee, which has been grappling with the citys response to the homelessness crisis, and serving on the powerful Budget and Finance Committee. Cedillo lost his seat in the primary and will be replaced in December. Harris-Dawson acknowledged that a new crop of councilmembers will take office at the end of the year. Mr. Huizar was removed from office on the day of his arrest. [2], A special election will be held for Martinez's seat on April 4, 2023 with a runoff on June 27, 2023 if necessary. 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. Per the City Charter, the council can now appoint someone to fill her seat or call a particular election. [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. 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. L.A. Councilmember Kevin de Len, left, and former Council President Nury Martinez confer at a meeting on Oct. 4, 2022 . Mayor Eric Garcetti is among the elected officials calling for three Los Angeles City Council members to resign. Later, during the meeting, Mr. Bonin said through tears: I take a lot of hits, and I know I practically invite a bunch of them. 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 12th district seat was held by Mitchell Englander from 2011-18, and he was the Council's only Republican. I sincerely apologize to the people I hurt with my words: to my colleagues, their families, especially to Mike, Sean and your son. Prominent leaders call for the people involved to resign their posts. ", Cedillo said that in comparing the population and political makeup of a district, "the politics are as important to us as the population. Latinos make up about half of the citys 3.8 million people but hold only about a third of the seats on the council. He is condemning the racist comments and political maneuvering of his colleagues. 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. A Black speaker said she wanted an investigation into all decisions that have affected Black people in Los Angeles. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I hold myself accountable for these comments. LA City Council: Eunisses Hernandez declares victory over Gil Cedillo in race for District 1 Hernandez, a long-time resident of District 1, has led the ballot count for the last several. "But the activists, they're there 24/7. a progressive who defeated one of the three council members, Gil Cedillo, in a June primary. 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"[52], Cedillo ultimately did not resign and served out the remainder of his term. He called for the council members involved in the racist conversation to resign. She grew up in the Los Angeles area, and is formerly a San Gabriel Valley girl. No one denies that the conversation crossed a line at several points, and I deeply regret not speaking up when it did. All four people on the audio recording are Latino. "I publicly apologized for not cutting off my colleagues when their comments crossed a line," Cedillo said. A vote on his confirmation was held up by Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa , a Republican, because of allegations that Mr. Garcetti was aware of sexual misconduct by a close aide but did nothing about it. Im a Hispanic like them, and Im really hurt, said Maria Briones, who was wearing a yellow T-shirt of a tenants rights organization. It was unclear who leaked the recording, which was of an October 2021 meeting between Ms. Martinez; Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len, council members representing parts of the citys East Side; and Ron Herrera, who was the head of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor before he resigned Monday night. 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. Its the prerogative of a boy who is too young to really understand what was going on. Eli Lilly To Cut Insulin Prices, Cap Costs At $35 For Financial Institution Of England Raises Interest Rates, FtxsNishad SinghPleads Guilty To Fraud, Conspiracy Charges. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Here is what each has said about the crude and racist remarks made during the meeting. But they almost certainly could not remove them from office. I've been pigeonholed into this box of, oh you're a police abolitionist. She earned a BA degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. 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 . A sign near a group of tents featured the message Just 25 Black people yelling, a reference to comments De Len made in the leaked conversation. I am so sorry to the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues, and the City of Los Angeles. 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. A progressive activist, Hernandez still lives in this same Highland Park home she grew up in with her mom and brother. They . [1], Martinez provided a statement in the Los Angeles Times apologizing, "In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me. Im sorry to your entire family for putting you through this. Blumenfield said the group discussed the presidency as part of a larger conversation about moving the city forward. He also compared calls for him to resign to "cancel culture" and "McCarthyism. 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. De Leon and Cedillo chimed in and laughed at some of the gossip. [32], The California/Hawaii and Los Angeles NAACP,[33][34] the Armenian National Committee of America[35] and the SAG-AFTRA union called for the resignation of all four individuals involved. I look forward to closing out my time on City Council, finishing projects and preparing to serve in a new way.. public speakers demanding that the Los Angeles City Council stop holding meetings until Councilmen Kevin de Len and Gil Cedillo resign . And all registered and active voters will automatically have a ballot mailed to their households. As a mother, I know better and I am sorry. To move forward as a city, we must move past the politics of divide and conquer, she said in a statement. We've seen over-investment and development in luxury housing, but the average median income in this district is $32,000 a year. They had gathered to discuss how to create new City Council boundaries under the redistricting process. And then beyond that, I think we have to sort of take it as it comes., Asked about the presidency, Price issued a statement saying he will do what he can to help unite, heal and bring positive change that lifts people up and leaves no one behind.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Councilman Mike Bonin, whose son was the target of racist comments, asks for his colleagues who participated in the conversation to resign, to cheers from the crowd at the council meeting. "[31], A number of prominent politicians called for all three councilmembers to resign, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, U.S. Latino residents said they were betrayed by their own leaders. 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. Mr. Cedillo and Mr. de Len also have resisted calls for them to step down from their council seats. Cedillo, in the statement, said: "Conversations can also turn raw when people think they are speaking privately -- which happened that day. Your email address will not be published. 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. [3], Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 17:08, 2023 Los Angeles special election District 6, "LA City Council meets for 1st time following leaked audio of racist remarks", "Nury Martinez announces resignation from L.A. City Council in wake of audio leak scandal", "LA politicians to lose committee positions over race scandal", "LA City Council censures Kevin de Len, Gil Cedillo over role in racism scandal", "Mark Ridley-Thomas, Ron Herrera and Other City Hall Leak Suspects", "What we know about the explosive leaked audio roiling L.A. City Hall and its origins", "Breaking down key moments in the racist leaked recording of L.A. councilmembers", "L.A. Labor head Ron Herrera resigns; federation joins calls for councilmembers to resign", "The mystery behind L.A. racist tape scandal: Who leaked it and why? (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) By Julia Wick , Benjamin Oreskes Oct. 21, 2022 5 AM PT Two days. But Latinos make up the citys largest ethnic group by far. Rather than fight among themselves, Ms. Martinez said, they should demand a map in which one of them gets the massive Los Angeles International Airport. Since none were under indictment, they could only be removed from office by a voter-initiated recall. The recording was a conversation among Nury Martinez, the Council president; Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Len, council members; and Ron Herrera, the leader of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, that took place in October 2021 during intense negotiations over City Council redistricting. There are no excuses, he said. (Photo by Dean . And the Asian American community has become a rising political force in the city, with nearly 12 percent of the population. Abarca appears to be the only incumbent who lost outright on Tuesday. Gavin Newsom had not. And they don't want us.". 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. [44] Paul Krekorian was later elected as the new council president. Cedillo has been absent from council meetings for the past two weeks. BBC News LA council president resigns her seat over racist remarks leakhttps://t.co/j0Fz83hbNV. Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times, via Getty Images. 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. The final results of the June 7 election released Friday by the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerks Office also confirmed the November runoff battle between Rep. Karen Bass and businessman Rick Caruso in the race for Los Angeles mayor. Cedillo later talked about certain areas that he was afraid would be drawn into his district, and requested that his district move more to the south and the west. From left, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Jos Huizar, Mitchell Englander. A number of their council colleagues even have known as for them to step down. The two changes are expected to sharply increase voter participation in the mayoral race, and both candidates have been aggressively courting Latino voters. 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. Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Curren Price have publicly expressed interest in the post, which was held by Martinez for nearly three years. My work speaks for itself. 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. With that in mind, heres a quick rundown of some recent events: Almost a year ago to the day, Mr. Ridley-Thomas, then a member of the Council, was indicted on federal corruption charges. LOS ANGELES Marielena Hincapi, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center . Ive worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time. None of the three council members on the recording seem to be here. [37], On October 23, after Martinez had already resigned, California governor Gavin Newsom called on Cedillo and de Len to step down. 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. The imbroglio engulfing Los Angeles after a leaked audio recording revealed racist and disparaging remarks made by the City Council president in a meeting with two other council members last year is only the latest in a string of scandals to have hit City Hall in just the past few years. "[39], Since Martinez was not indicted for a crime, she could not be removed by a vote of the city council, and only a voter-initiated recall could remove her from office before her term would have normally ended in 2024. [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. "That's not who I am, and I did nothing that warranted it. dean pleaded guilty and admitted to arranging a $100,000 payment to the councilman. 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. Behind him are former corporate attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and Marina Torres in a neck-and-neck race for the second spot in the November runoff. The near-final numbers today from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Register tentatively show that community activist Hernandez has strongly beaten Cedillo, 54.04% to 45.96%. At the same time, he acknowledged that Cedillo and De Len have not been persuaded by calls from numerous political leaders, including President Biden, to step down. Dozens of demonstrators were gathered outside of the Los Angeles City Hall while a raucous meeting of the City Council took place inside on Tuesday. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends. City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, 68, stepped in to guide the discussion among himself, Councilmembers Nury Martinez and Kevin De Len, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor leader Ron. The audio has set off an unprecedented disaster in civic leadership, as City Hall already has been rocked by a collection of corruption scandals. 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. "[8], De Len offered a statement of apology but did not offer to step down from his position. Councilman Mike Bonin, whose Black son was the target of racist comments on the recording, tried to calm the crowd. White Angelenos, with more than 28 percent of the population, have long controlled much of the citys wealth and power. Only 85 additional votes in Cedillos 1st District were counted in the latest election results, and they continued to show the dramatic results from last Friday a wide, and likely un-bridgeable gap, between the two candidates. The two councilmembers were pulled from committees dealing with real estate development, housing, homelessness and other issues. [43] Councilman Mitch O'Farrell stepped in as acting president. I am so sorry to the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues, and the City of Los Angeles. Martinez said it would serve them to not give Raman all of Koreatown because it would give Raman more renters in her district. City Council member for the First District; due to leave office when his term ends in December after a primary defeat in June. Kevin de Lon just postponed 'Wakanda Forever' screening after uproar. 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. 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.". In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. 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. 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LOS ANGELES The head of the Los Angeles City Council stripped two members of much of their power Monday to pressure them to resign for participating in a private meeting in which they did not. , she said in a statement National Immigration Law Center Angeles Marielena Hincapi, director! His position have known as for them to not give Raman all of Koreatown it... Angeless 12th district seat was held by Mitchell Englander the remainder of his colleagues at the end it... Members involved in the racist conversation to resign to gil cedillo for city council 2022 cancel culture '' and ``.! Council 's only Republican offer to step down two days one of the citys largest group... The November runoff it is not my apologies that matter most ; it will be replaced in.. Of their council seats chimed in and laughed at some of the gossip on Tuesday four on... Has been absent from council meetings for the people involved to resign a new crop councilmembers. 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