The LA City Council has voted unanimously to censure Councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo as well as former member Nury Martinez.
This censure is meant to be a public rebuke of the individuals—involved in the highly controversial leaked recordings that were made public this month—and is the only legal move that the council can make against them. It is not authorized to remove nor suspend them (Martinez already resigned though). Cedillo and de Leon, however, have remained and do not intend to step down.
“A few weeks ago, I could not imagine that we’d be here today, taking this unprecedented step of censuring Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield during Wednesday’s council meeting. “Hate rolled off the tip of their tongues and while not illegal, people who engage in this sort of behavior should not hold public office.”
Cedillo’s term is set to end December, but de Leon has repeatedly said he wouldn’t resign, and removing him would require a successful recall vote.
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson rebuked his colleague in the context of his recent interviews as well as unwillingness to resign. Harris-Dawson said that de Leon “holds the city hostage.” “Mr. de Leon… continues to go on a revisionist history tour in public and continues to make a mockery of this council and a mockery of the entire city for his own personal benefit,” Harris-Dawson said. “And I think it causes a reaction in the public that we saw today and I think that will continue to happen as long as he holds the city hostage.”
The “reaction” here references the outraged group of protesters who filled the council chamber on Wednesday, with signs reading, “This meeting is illegitimate,” while chanting for the two to resign.
The leak of the council recordings occurred on October 9, and since then protesters have congregated outside City Hall as well as every in-person council meeting.
“This council has been incredibly tolerant… of the type of activity that would normally lead to the end of a council meeting and the reason for that is because we have wanted to demonstrate that Mr. de Leon and his failure to resign, will not cause this council not to conduct its work,” said Council President Paul Krekorian on Wednesday.