2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal
They were stripped of their committee assignments and chairmanships and were formally censured along with Martinez by the City Council in a unanimous 12–0 vote on October 26.
[6] In a closed door meeting at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor offices that lasted approximately one hour,[7][8] Martinez, Cedillo, de León, and Herrera discussed specific councilmembers, redistricting, and how to "consolidate and preserve political power.
[10][11] The audio recording of the meeting gained widespread attention due to the personal attacks, racist and colorist language, and discussion of political goals.
"[13] Martinez also called the child a "changuito" according to the Los Angeles Times, a racial slur meaning "little monkey" in Spanish.
[14] 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 "Oaxacan Koreans.
Oaxaca is a Mexican state that has a high percentage of Indigenous population, mostly of Zapotec origin, and Oaxacans are also represented in immigrant communities in Los Angeles.
[15][16] The audio also revealed council members' remarks about Jews and Armenians, with Martinez saying "The judios cut their deal with South LA.
And they are gonna screw everyone else", and referred to Areen Ibranossian, an advisor to councillor Paul Krekorian, as "The guy with one eyebrow."
[18][19] The motion was opposed by Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Mike Bonin, who instead proposed instructing the city attorney to find eligibility requirements for appointments.
[23][24] As a result of the fallout from the controversy, separate audio recordings of a conversation between Herrera and Hannah Cho, a former Mitch O'Farrell (and later LA County Federation of Labor) staffer, were leaked on October 15.
[29] The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times called on all three politicians to resign in an op-ed article published October 10, 2022.
[30] 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.
[33] The California/Hawaii and Los Angeles NAACP,[34][35] the Armenian National Committee of America[36] and the SAG-AFTRA union called for the resignation of all four individuals involved.
[38] On October 23, after Martinez had already resigned, California governor Gavin Newsom called on Cedillo and de León to step down.
[39] Two days after the audio's release, on Tuesday, October 11, a crowd of protestors disrupted the scheduled city council meeting, demanding Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León leave the room.
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.
[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.
[6] 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.
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.
