Official Steps Down After Offensive Audio Leaked
(UnitedVoice.com) – Last year, the most powerful people in Los Angeles politics met to discuss redistricting. On Sunday, October 9, a leaked recording made the discussion between them public. Now, the city council president has resigned, and more officials are facing calls to step aside.
According to audio reported by the LA Times, now-former City Council President Nury Martinez made racist comments while in a conversation with Councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, as well as Ron Herrera, President of the LA County Federation of Labor. In the recording, Martinez talked about Councilman Mike Bonin’s 2-year-old son. The child, who is black, rode on a float at a Martin Luther King, Jr. parade, and Martinez described him as “Parece changuito.” In English, the phrase means the little boy “looks like a little monkey.” Listeners can also hear her saying, “[expletive] that guy… he’s with the blacks” when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascón.
Martinez resigned as council president a day after the recording leaked. However, the Democrat plans to remain on the council.
Herrera also resigned from his position. He’d initially tried issuing an apology, but the pressure was too great, and he stepped down.
— Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO (@LALabor) October 10, 2022
The audio revealed Councilman de León making derogatory comments about Bonin, too. Councilman Cedillo appears to mock Oaxacans (an ethnic group from Mexico) and Koreans. Both men apologized but neither resigned.
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