LA Councilman de Leon says he will not resign amid uproar
LOS ANGELES — Embattled Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Leon told Univision on Wednesday he will not resign amid an uproar over a leaked tape that revealed him participating in a meeting in which Latino officials made crude, racist remarks and plotted to expand their political power.
The scandal already has led to the resignation of former City Council President Nury Martinez and calls from President Joe Biden for those involved to step down.
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De Leon told the Spanish-language station that he is “so sorry,” and wants to continue working on homelessness and other problems in his district.
The councilman also spoke with KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, saying he would refuse to resign. “I failed in my leadership,” he said.
His statement was immediately criticized by other Council members pushing for his resignation.
“Apologies will not be nearly enough to undo the damage that this city has suffered,” said Council President Paul Krekorian, who replaced Martinez in the leadership post. “The only way we can begin to heal as a city is for Mr. de Leon to take responsibility for his actions, accept the consequences and step down.”
The racist comments came in a nearly year-old meeting, which also provided an unvarnished look into the city’s racial rivalries. Those involved in the private meeting — all Democrats — spent much of the time discussing how to safeguard Latino political power during the redrawing of council district boundaries.
The California Legislative Black Caucus said the recording “reveals an appalling effort to decentralize Black voices during the critical redistricting process.”
Martinez stepped down last week, but de Leon and Councilmember Gil Cedillo have so far resisted widespread calls for their resignations.
The Los Angeles City Council installed a new president Tuesday after a chanting crowd of protesters called for halting the vote until de Leon and Cedillo resigned for their part in the 2021 meeting.
The Council selected Krekorian to lead the chamber.
A powerful labor leader who also attended the 2021 private meeting, Ron Herrera, also resigned.
