San Pedro, CA – Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has released the following statement reacting to the leaked audio of a conversation between Los Angeles City Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo, and Kevin De Leon, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera and calling for Nury Martinez to step down from her position as Council President:
“The racism, bigotry, and cruelty revealed in this leaked audio is appalling. Words matter. The anti-Black prejudice on display in this conversation compromises the confidence any residents had in these councilmembers’ leadership. Councilwoman Nury Martinez must step down from her position as President of the council immediately, before her colleagues have to do it. And how sad that Mike and Sean’s young son Jacob, who is the grandson of the late great ILWU labor leader Dave Arian, was was the brunt of such heartless and vicious words. What this city now needs is a Truth and Reconciliation process with real accountability and repair. I love this city and we need to find a pathway forward where all people can feel represented equally.”