Nury Martinez announces resignation from L.A. City Council in wake of audio leak scandal

Nury Martinez resigned her seat on the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday, days after the release of an explosive leaked audio of a racist, crude conversation.

“It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home,” Martinez wrote in a lengthy resignation message.

Martinez told her constituents that it had been a privilege serving them. “I hope you stay engaged and continue to fight for your fair share of the city’s resources,” she said in the statement. “It’s hard to say goodbye, but please know that I was in this fight for you.”

“And last, to all little Latina girls across this city — I hope I’ve inspired you to dream beyond that which you can see,” Martinez said in closing. “While I take the time to look inwards and reflect, I ask that you give me space and privacy.”

Martinez is only the latest in a string of council members to be caught up in scandal. Last year, Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges, and was suspended by his colleagues.

Before that Councilman Jose Huizar was charged with racketeering, bribery and fraud — and was suspended six months before leaving office. Councilman Mitchell Englander resigned in 2018, just as he was under federal investigation. Englander was later convicted of scheming to obstruct a federal probe into Huizar.

In her lengthy resignation letter, Martinez described how her family had been her “biggest cheerleaders” and spoke of the sacrifices they made for her. She also addressed her young daughter saying” I know i have fallen short recently of the expectations we have for our family.”“I vow to you that I will strive to be a better woman to make you proud.”

The move came amid mounting pressures from all corners of politics, from President Biden to many community activists and council colleagues.

In this surreptitiously recorded conversation from October 2021, Martinez — while speaking with Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo as well as Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera — made racist remarks and insults about various elected officials.

Martinez focused in particular on Councilmember Mike Bonin, who is white, and Bonin’s young son, who is Black. At one point, Martinez called Bonin a “little bitch” and referred to his son as “Parece changuito,” or “like a monkey.” She also said Bonin’s son had misbehaved on a parade float and needed a “beatdown.” But that is just one aspect of the leak, which has sent shockwaves through City Hall and led to widespread disgust and outrage.

The conversation focused heavily on the councilmembers’ frustration with maps that had been proposed by the city’s 21-member redistricting commission.

It remained private for nearly a year, until The Times published details of the recording Sunday, just a month before a pivotal city election. It was posted on Reddit, but it remained unclear who recorded the audio, who uploaded it and whether anyone else was present.

Martinez had apologized repeatedly in recent days, and announced she was taking a leave on absence from the council. De León said he regretted his actions and “fell short.” Cedillo said he should have intervened during the conversation, but did not mock his colleagues or make racist statements.

On Tuesday, Biden called on the three to step down.

“The president is glad to see that one of the participants in that conversation has resigned, but they all should,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, calling the language recorded during the conversation “unacceptable” and “appalling.”

Some L.A. City Council members responded to the fury by announcing a series of reform proposals. One would ask voters to expand the size of the council in 2024. Another would create a new committee to look at ways of limiting corruption. A third would ensure that the next redistricting process — the subject of the secret recording — is decided by an independent citizens’ panel, not the council.

Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, serving as acting president, announced his support for those proposals. And he denounced what he called “the casual racism,” the “abhorrent language,” the “dehumanizing racist reference” to Bonin’s son, the “denigration of Indigenous peoples” and “the familiar tropes against LBGTQ+ individuals.”

“For Los Angeles to heal, and for its City Council to govern, there must be accountability,” O’Farrell, who took on the role of acting council president after Martinez resigned Monday from that post, said in a statement. “The resignation of Councilmember Nury Martinez is the first, necessary step in that process. To that end, I repeat my call on Councilmembers de León and Cedillo to also resign. There is no other way forward.”