President Biden calls on all participants of racist LA City Council leaked audio to resign
After racist leaked recording, Los Angeles City Council president takes leave; Biden calls for resignations
Four L.A. political heavyweights – including three Latino members of the L.A. City Council – are heard making racist remarks in the recording, first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Its release is the most recent episode in a long-standing racial divide between Latino and Black communities within one of the nation’s most diverse cities.
Ron Herrera, the president of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, resigned from his position Tuesday. But L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez, at the center of the controversy, has stopped short of resigning from her seat, instead taking a leave of absence and stepping down as council president.
“The president is glad to see that one of the participants in that conversation has resigned. But they all should,” Jean-Pierre said.
Martinez could be heard making racist statements about the Black child of a white council members, Mike Bonin, he “handled his young Black son as though he were an accessory.” She also described the son in Spanish as “like a monkey.” The other two participants are L.A. council members Kevin De Len and Gil Cedillo. Both remain in their council seats.
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Although everyone in the recording is a Democrat, Jean-Pierre sought to make a distinction with Republicans on how the parties respond to racism within their own ranks.
“When a Democrat says something racist or anti-Semitic, we really hold Democrats accountable. When a MAGA Republican says something racist or anti-Semitic, they’re embraced by cheering crowds and become celebrated and sought-after endorsements.”
Jean-Pierre pointed to comments Saturday from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., at a rally hosted by President Donald Trump in which the senator said Democrats back reparations for descendants of slavery because “they think the people who do crime are owed that.”
Biden is scheduled to visit Los Angeles on Wednesday to attend a Democratic fundraiser and deliver remarks on the infrastructure spending law passed last year. The trip was planned before the L.A. City Council controversy erupted.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.