Nury Martinez leak reveals insults about Jews, Armenians too - Los Angeles Times

In the aforesaid leaked audio clips posted to Reddit successful which erstwhile Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez made racist remarks astir Black radical and Oaxacans, she besides made crude remarks astir Jewish radical and Armenians.

Martinez said Tuesday that she would instrumentality a leave of absence from the City Council, 2 days aft a recording surfaced connected which she was heard deriding immoderate of her colleagues and making racist remarks. Martinez stepped down arsenic City Council president Monday.

In the signaling reviewed by The Times, Martinez tin beryllium heard saying the “judíos” — which means Jews successful Spanish — “cut their woody with South L.A.”

Martinez was responding to erstwhile Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, who had concluded, “I’m definite Katz and his unit person an agenda,” referring to erstwhile authorities Assemblymember Richard Katz.

Katz served connected the city’s 21-member redistricting committee that worked connected assembly territory bound maps. He was an appointee of City Councilman Bob Blumenfield.

“They are gonna screw everybody else,” Martinez said successful the recording.

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Nury Martinez and Ron Herrera insult their Jewish colleagues

Former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera and erstwhile Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez sermon Jewish politicians and Martinez claims the ‘Judíos’ are “gonna screw everybody else.”

The conversation took spot successful October 2021 and besides progressive Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo. They were discussing maps that had been projected by the redistricting commission.

Herrera resigned Monday night amid backlash implicit the arguable remarks. Multiple calls person been made for Martinez, Cedillo and De León to resign arsenic well.

Martinez besides spoke astir Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, who is of Armenian descent, and Councilmember Paul Krekorian, the archetypal Armenian American to beryllium elected to nationalist bureau successful Los Angeles.

“He besides wants his feline elected,” said Martinez, referring to Krekorian. “So helium needs a territory that Adrin Nazarian could triumph it. That’s what they want. They privation to assure, they privation to beryllium reassured that they have, not an Armenian territory successful the Valley, due to the fact that that doesn’t exist, but they privation arsenic galore Armenians successful that territory arsenic imaginable to beryllium capable to play.”

Martinez added that she didn’t cognize whether Nazarian could get elected successful a “pretty white” district.

“Now, I don’t deliberation Adrin ... gets elected. If a white, a reputable achromatic businesswoman was successful that territory ... [it] is inactive beauteous white. But that’s connected them,” she said. “I’m not — I’m not cutting that woody with anybody due to the fact that I don’t know. I don’t cognize that helium tin win.”

Later successful the conversation, Martinez was attempting to place Areen Ibranossian, a erstwhile main of unit for Krekorian who is present a elder advisor to Rick Caruso’s run for mayor. Someone successful the country asks, “What’s his name? What’s helium look like?” She said he’s “the feline with the 1 eyebrow.”

“I similar him,” Martinez said, adding that helium is joined to a person of hers.

When Martinez couldn’t callback his past sanction and asked what it was, Cedillo responded, “It ends successful i-a-n, I stake you.”

On Tuesday, Nazarian called for Martinez, Cedillo and De León to resign.

“The racist views and approaches to governing expressed by Councilmembers Martinez, Cedillo and De León correspond everything that is incorrect successful our metropolis government,” helium said successful a connection posted connected Facebook. “In a assembly whose rank is filled with historical firsts, prejudice should person nary spot successful the enactment conversations of our community. This attack to governance seeks lone to pit disenfranchised and often traumatized communities against 1 another, successful a infinitesimal successful our past erstwhile unity couldn’t beryllium much critical.”

The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region, oregon ANCA-WR, likewise condemned the councilmembers’ comments.

“The statements made by the individuals successful question not lone betray their ngo to service each people, careless of their identity, but explicitly show that they clasp nary respect for the divers communities of Los Angeles,” the radical said successful a connection Tuesday. “Racist remarks directed astatine individuals and groups successful Los Angeles are wholly unacceptable and bespeak a melodramatic and egregious failure.”

The enactment besides called for an probe into however the signaling was made and leaked, and said the discourse of the speech betwixt section politicians and labour person raises superior concerns astir the integrity of the redistricting process.

“This process is 1 that should not beryllium tarnished by the amerciable involution of policymakers successful backdoor meetings held extracurricular the nationalist sphere,” the connection read.

Martinez, De León, Cedillo and Herrera apologized Sunday for their relation successful the conversation.

Martinez said successful a connection announcing her permission of lack that the fallout from the recordings has “been 1 of the astir hard times of my life.” She besides apologized to “the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues and the metropolis of Los Angeles.”

In 1 of the leaked audio clips, Martinez referred to Councilmember Mike Bonin’s young Black lad arsenic “parece changuito,” oregon “like a monkey,” and said Bonin handled his lad arsenic though helium were an “accessory.” At 1 point, she besides called Bonin a “little bitch.”

Martinez besides mocked Oaxacans, and said “F— that guy. … He’s with the Blacks” portion speaking astir Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón.

The comments from the leaked recordings person sparked outrage crossed L.A., with Mayor Eric Garcetti, mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Caruso, Sen. Alex Padilla and galore members of the City Council calling for Martinez’s resignation.

Times unit writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.