Los Angeles councilwoman Nury Martinez resigns following leaked audio of racist remarks
Nury Martinez and two other council members have been pressured to resign after they were caught making racist and offensive comments directed at other leaders and residents
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Los Angeles city councilwoman stepped down Wednesday following days of calls for her and two of her colleagues to resign after they were caught on a leaked audio recording disparaging other city leaders and constituents with racist and offensive remarks.
Nury Martinez issued a statement to her fellow council members, staff and county residents, saying that it was "with a broken heart" that she was leaving her post to "look inward and reflect."
"It's hard to say goodbye, but please know that I was in this fight for you," she wrote to her constituents.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Numerous local and state leaders, and even President Biden, have called for Martinez and council members Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo to step down. Martinez stepped down as council president on Monday and said she was taking a leave of absence, but critics said it was not good enough.
DISGRACED FORMER LA CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT SAID CUTTING POLICE FUNDING 'STEP' TOWARD ENDING RACISM
Then-Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, at podium, and Mayor Eric Garcetti, standing to her right, are seen during a news conference at Los Angeles City Hall. On Wednesday, Martinez resigned from the council amid public pressure over her comments on a leaked audio recording. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, who was part of the October 2021 closed-door meeting, resigned from his post on Monday. All four have publicly apologized. De Leon and Cedillo have not made any announcements regarding their resignation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}All four were heard on a leaked audio recording in which they were discussing the once-a-decade re-districting process. During the meeting, Martinez was heard making racially charged comments about the Black son of Councilman Mike Bonin, describing the child as a "parece changuito," or "like a monkey."
She also called Bonin a "little b----" and made fun of Mexicans from Oaxaca, which is known for its indigenous peoples and culture.
"I see a lot of little short dark people," Martinez said, referring to an area of the largely Hispanic Koreatown neighborhood. "I was like, I don’t know where these people are from, I don’t know what village they came (from), how they got here," she said, adding "tan feos" — "They’re ugly."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}De Leon also called Bonin the council's fourth Black member.
LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS CALL FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO RESIGN AFTER LEAKED RACIST COMMENTS
Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de León, left, and then-Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez confer at an Oct. 4 city council meeting. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
"Mike Bonin won’t f—-ing ever say peep about Latinos. He’ll never say a f—-ing word about us," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also compared Bonin’s handling of the toddler to "when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag." "Su negrito, like on the side," Martinez added.
In a statement, Bonin and his partner, Sean Arian, said they were "appalled, angry and absolutely disgusted" by Martinez's comments.
"As parents of a Black child, we condemn the entirety of the recorded conversation, which displayed a repeated and vulgar anti-Black sentiment, and a coordinated effort to weaken Black political representation in Los Angeles. The conversation revealed several layers of contempt for the people of Los Angeles, and a cynical, ugly desire to divide the City rather than serve it," they said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The conversation also steered toward Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas’ indictment on federal corruption charges, as Martinez said Controller Ron Galperin would decide whether Ridley-Thomas still gets paid during his suspension. "You need to go talk to that White guy," Martinez said. "It's not us. It's the White members on this council that will motherf--- you in a heartbeat."
Veronica Sance holds a sign in a news conference to denounce racism and demand change in response to a recorded, racially charged leaked conversation between leaders at City Hall and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor president before the Los Angeles City Council meeting outside city hall on Tuesday. (AP)
The scandal has rocked City Hall and prompted hundreds of people to protest inside and outside Tuesday's raucous and expletive-filled City Council meeting. Wednesday's meeting was canceled.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After Martinez's announcement, several council members applauded her departure.
"I thank Nury for making the difficult, but right choice to resign," Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez tweeted. "I ask my colleagues Mr. Cedillo and Mr. de Leon to follow that lead so our City may begin the process of healing."
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.