Los Angeles City Council Member Nury Martinez resigned on Wednesday.
Los Angeles, CA (October 12, 2022) – Los Angeles City Council Member Nury Martinez resigned on Wednesday. Martinez was caught saying racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-Armenian comments in a leaked audio recording about redistricting with City Council Members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera. Herrera stepped down on Monday. Cedillo and de León have yet to say if they would do the same.
“It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home,” she said in a news release.
Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement in which he said Martinez’s choice to resign was the correct one.
“Nury made the right decision, one that I realize is painful to her personally but unquestionably in the best interests of a city that I know she loves. Racism and hateful words cannot ever be overlooked by our community or within one’s self, and she needs the time and space to reflect, make amends, and move forward with her life,” Garcetti said.
ACTING COUNCIL PRESIDENT MITCH O’FARRELL released STATEMENT ON THE RESIGNATION OF COUNCILMEMBER NURY MARTINEZ below:
“For Los Angeles to heal, and for its City Council to govern, there must be accountability. The resignation of Councilmember Nury Martinez is the first, necessary step in that process. To that end, I repeat my call on Councilmembers de Leon and Cedillo to also resign. There is no other way forward.” -Acting Council President Mitch O’Farrell
Martinez, who was the president of the city council, resigned from that role on Monday. On Tuesday, she said she was taking a leave of absence.
In a letter released Wednesday afternoon, Martinez reflected on her career in the council, describing her time as “extremely difficult,” adding that she hoped her work for the city inspired young Latina girls. Martinez was the first Latina president of the City Council.
