Dem Official Resigns After Leaked Audio Exposes Violent and Racist Remarks About a Child - Report
A Democrat is resigning the Los Angeles City Council’s presidency after a leaked tape exposed her making racist and violent remarks about the black child of a fellow council member.
Council President Nury Martinez referred to the adopted son of Councilman Mike Bonin in racist terms in the leaked recording, made in the presence of other councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo.
The council members in the recording — all Democrats — were discussing municipal redistricting in the conversation.
Council President Nury Martinez makes racist remarks in a leaked audio recording about Councilmember Mike Bonin’s young son while Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera chime in.
Read more: https://t.co/Fm6jf9p6g2 pic.twitter.com/09U8Mq8TOM
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 10, 2022
“Parece changuito,” Martinez said in the recording, which translates to, “He’s like a monkey” in English.
“They’re raising him like a little white kid … This kid needs a beat down,” Martinez said of Bonin’s son, recounting a situation in which the child supposedly misbehaved at a parade.
“Give me take him around the corner, and then I’ll bring him back.”
Bonin slammed Martinez for her nakedly racist remarks regarding his son in a response, calling for her removal from office and resignation from the council in a Sunday tweet.
Our family statement about today’s ugly and hateful news. pic.twitter.com/0fPPXwsS5B
— Mike Bonin (@mikebonin) October 9, 2022
Martinez announced her resignation from the council presidency in a Monday statement, apologizing for her remarks in the leaked audio and to Bonin’s family directly.
Nury Martinez resigns as President of the Los Angeles City Council: “I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry.” pic.twitter.com/QNd9NgyVAr
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 10, 2022
Martinez isn’t resigning from her city council seat. She’s only stepping down as President of the Los Angeles City Council and will remain in office as councilwoman for District 6.
Martinez also cursed ultra-progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in the recording, claiming that he is “with the blacks.”
Protesters arrived outside of Martinez’s residence in response to the leak’s publication.
A battalion of police officers were mobilized to protect Nury Martinez’s (@CD6Nury) house last night from leftist rioters following the audio leak. She was one of the Los Angeles city council members who pushed for the same police to be defunded for others.pic.twitter.com/BUn1NSOesJ
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 10, 2022
An anonymous Reddit user originally posted the recorded audio online, according to The Seattle Times. The full release of an hour-long conversation comes a month before Los Angeles’ municipal elections.
“Wow, you know it happens, but when you actually hear it, it’s unbelievable,” the source of the audio said of the closed-doors meeting between Los Angeles City Council members.
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