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| California to Investigate Los Angeles Redistricting Based on Leaked Remarks | California to Investigate Los Angeles Redistricting Based on Leaked Remarks |
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| LOS ANGELES — California’s attorney general announced on Wednesday that his office would investigate Los Angeles’s redistricting process, after the emergence of a recording of three City Council members discussing ways to change political boundaries to benefit Latino representatives. | LOS ANGELES — California’s attorney general announced on Wednesday that his office would investigate Los Angeles’s redistricting process, after the emergence of a recording of three City Council members discussing ways to change political boundaries to benefit Latino representatives. |
| The recording has sparked outrage for its racist and insulting comments. On Wednesday, Councilwoman Nury Martinez stepped down from public office amid calls from politicians, including President Biden, for her and two other council members to resign. | The recording has sparked outrage for its racist and insulting comments. On Wednesday, Councilwoman Nury Martinez stepped down from public office amid calls from politicians, including President Biden, for her and two other council members to resign. |
| Beyond making offensive remarks in the October 2021 meeting that was secretly recorded, the three council members — Ms. Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León — spoke about strategies for ensuring that council districts would be redrawn so that Latino leaders would have within their districts key blocs of voters, as well as “assets” like airports that can enhance an officeholder’s political influence and fund-raising ability. The three Democrats were meeting privately with Ron Herrera, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, at the union’s office. | Beyond making offensive remarks in the October 2021 meeting that was secretly recorded, the three council members — Ms. Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León — spoke about strategies for ensuring that council districts would be redrawn so that Latino leaders would have within their districts key blocs of voters, as well as “assets” like airports that can enhance an officeholder’s political influence and fund-raising ability. The three Democrats were meeting privately with Ron Herrera, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, at the union’s office. |
| “The decennial redistricting process is foundational for our democracy and for the ability of our communities to make their voices heard — and it must be above reproach,” Rob Bonta, the state attorney general, said in a statement. “The leaked audio has cast doubt on a cornerstone of our political processes for Los Angeles.” | “The decennial redistricting process is foundational for our democracy and for the ability of our communities to make their voices heard — and it must be above reproach,” Rob Bonta, the state attorney general, said in a statement. “The leaked audio has cast doubt on a cornerstone of our political processes for Los Angeles.” |
| The California state government uses an independent commission to determine its political boundaries, but the Los Angeles City Council relies on such a panel only to make recommendations, and can decide its own district lines. | The California state government uses an independent commission to determine its political boundaries, but the Los Angeles City Council relies on such a panel only to make recommendations, and can decide its own district lines. |
| Mr. Bonta, a Democrat, said in an interview on Wednesday that his office would look into potential violations of the federal Voting Rights Act, as well as of the state’s open meetings law and a 2019 act that established transparency guidelines for local redistricting. It was not immediately clear whether the targets of the investigation would be limited to the public officials heard in the leaked audio. | Mr. Bonta, a Democrat, said in an interview on Wednesday that his office would look into potential violations of the federal Voting Rights Act, as well as of the state’s open meetings law and a 2019 act that established transparency guidelines for local redistricting. It was not immediately clear whether the targets of the investigation would be limited to the public officials heard in the leaked audio. |
| “One of the things we’re looking at is, were the districts created consistent with laws around communities of interest and voter dilution?” Mr. Bonta said. “We need to look at that, but we’re not there yet on the idea of redoing elections or redistricting.” | “One of the things we’re looking at is, were the districts created consistent with laws around communities of interest and voter dilution?” Mr. Bonta said. “We need to look at that, but we’re not there yet on the idea of redoing elections or redistricting.” |
| The fallout from the recording has roiled Los Angeles city politics and prevented the 15-member Council from conducting city business. For a second day, protesters packed the Council chamber on Wednesday and chanted repeatedly, demanding that the three council members resign as a condition for ending the disruption. | The fallout from the recording has roiled Los Angeles city politics and prevented the 15-member Council from conducting city business. For a second day, protesters packed the Council chamber on Wednesday and chanted repeatedly, demanding that the three council members resign as a condition for ending the disruption. |
| Mr. de León and Mr. Cedillo remain on the City Council. Mr. Herrera has resigned from his labor post. | Mr. de León and Mr. Cedillo remain on the City Council. Mr. Herrera has resigned from his labor post. |
| When the Council tried to meet on Tuesday for the first time since the audio surfaced, dozens of outraged residents, many of them members of local far-left organizations, packed into City Hall. | When the Council tried to meet on Tuesday for the first time since the audio surfaced, dozens of outraged residents, many of them members of local far-left organizations, packed into City Hall. |
| “No resignation, no meeting!” dozens chanted, waving signs and pounding on the back of the wooden benches. | “No resignation, no meeting!” dozens chanted, waving signs and pounding on the back of the wooden benches. |
| When the Council tried again to convene on Wednesday, Mitch O’Farrell, a council member who is acting as president of the body, tried to restore order in the soaring hall, lined by colorful tiles and ornate columns. Later, he added that none of the three council members under fire — Ms. Martinez, Mr. Cedillo or Mr. de León — were present. After a little more than an hour of intense protest, the meeting was adjourned without any official actions or discussion having taken place. | When the Council tried again to convene on Wednesday, Mitch O’Farrell, a council member who is acting as president of the body, tried to restore order in the soaring hall, lined by colorful tiles and ornate columns. Later, he added that none of the three council members under fire — Ms. Martinez, Mr. Cedillo or Mr. de León — were present. After a little more than an hour of intense protest, the meeting was adjourned without any official actions or discussion having taken place. |
| The Council had been set to discuss a proposal on Wednesday to ask voters to change the city charter so that the City Council would no longer be in charge of its own redistricting — a measure put forth this week by Nithya Raman, a council member who was mentioned on the recording as “not an ally” of the three. After the recorded meeting took place, Ms. Raman’s district was significantly redrawn to be less favorable to her re-election. | The Council had been set to discuss a proposal on Wednesday to ask voters to change the city charter so that the City Council would no longer be in charge of its own redistricting — a measure put forth this week by Nithya Raman, a council member who was mentioned on the recording as “not an ally” of the three. After the recorded meeting took place, Ms. Raman’s district was significantly redrawn to be less favorable to her re-election. |
| Last year, after the redistricting process, California Common Cause, a group that advocates for open government, and members of the city panel that makes redistricting recommendations to the City Council, similarly recommended that the redistricting commission be replaced with a “fully independent” body, charging that the current system had led to “extreme political interference” in the mapmaking. | |
| “I’m glad to hear that an investigation is being launched,” Ms. Raman said in a statement after Mr. Bonta announced his investigation. “As the representative of the district that was most changed by this redistricting process, my priority right now is to reform the system to ensure this never happens again.” | “I’m glad to hear that an investigation is being launched,” Ms. Raman said in a statement after Mr. Bonta announced his investigation. “As the representative of the district that was most changed by this redistricting process, my priority right now is to reform the system to ensure this never happens again.” |
| The recording, which landed like a grenade on Los Angeles’s political class after it was first reported by The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, includes audio of Ms. Martinez mocking the Black child of a white councilman, Mike Bonin, in racist terms. | The recording, which landed like a grenade on Los Angeles’s political class after it was first reported by The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, includes audio of Ms. Martinez mocking the Black child of a white councilman, Mike Bonin, in racist terms. |
| The 80-minute recording, which was obtained by The New York Times, also included ugly remarks describing recent migrants from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, among other disparaging comments, as the council members and Mr. Herrera complained about a lack of political representation for Latinos and considered ways to carve up districts historically represented by Black council members. | The 80-minute recording, which was obtained by The New York Times, also included ugly remarks describing recent migrants from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, among other disparaging comments, as the council members and Mr. Herrera complained about a lack of political representation for Latinos and considered ways to carve up districts historically represented by Black council members. |
| “My goal is to get the three of you elected, and I’m just focused on that,” Mr. Herrera can be heard saying at one point. “We’re like a little Latino caucus of our own.” | “My goal is to get the three of you elected, and I’m just focused on that,” Mr. Herrera can be heard saying at one point. “We’re like a little Latino caucus of our own.” |
| Condemnation from elected officials, advocacy groups and others was swift and fierce. | Condemnation from elected officials, advocacy groups and others was swift and fierce. |
| Councilman Bonin gave a tearful speech on Tuesday, describing the emotional toll the ordeal had taken on his family, and told the three colleagues that they must resign in order for the city to move forward. Nearly 80 speakers lined up to demand that the council members step down, including many who said all of the Council’s decisions should be re-evaluated in light of the racism, particularly on the redistricting process. | Councilman Bonin gave a tearful speech on Tuesday, describing the emotional toll the ordeal had taken on his family, and told the three colleagues that they must resign in order for the city to move forward. Nearly 80 speakers lined up to demand that the council members step down, including many who said all of the Council’s decisions should be re-evaluated in light of the racism, particularly on the redistricting process. |
| The Rev. Shane Harris, president of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, a civil rights organization based in San Diego, called on Tuesday for the state to investigate. | |
| “We are not only concerned about the racist remarks,” he said in a statement, “but we are even more concerned with the context of the call and whether civil rights have been violated in this meeting.” | “We are not only concerned about the racist remarks,” he said in a statement, “but we are even more concerned with the context of the call and whether civil rights have been violated in this meeting.” |
| Shawn Hubler contributed reporting. | Shawn Hubler contributed reporting. |