Nury Martinez resigns from Los Angeles City Council in wake of leaked audio scandal - Axios

Nury Martinez question is pictured astatine City Hall connected Aug. 30, 2022 successful Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Nury Martinez resigned from the Los Angeles City Council connected Wednesday successful the fallout of leaked audio successful which she and 2 different councilmembers made racist remarks.

The latest: The assembly has struggled to execute its duties successful the aftermath of the scandal, arsenic aggravated protesters disrupted a meeting for a 2nd consecutive time astatine City Hall connected Wednesday.

• Acting metropolis assembly president Mitch O'Farrell emphasized that nary of the councilmembers who took portion successful the taped speech were present, but the gathering was adjourned aft conscionable implicit an hr with nary treatment oregon authoritative enactment complete, the New York Times notes.

What she's saying: "It is with a breached bosom that I resign my spot for Council District 6, the assemblage I grew up successful and my home," Martinez said successful a statement.

• The council's erstwhile president said antecedently she would instrumentality a permission of lack aft resigning from her enactment position. 

The large picture: The announcement comes aft days of blowback implicit the audio — from a speech past twelvemonth astir redistricting — that was obtained and published by the Los Angeles Times implicit the weekend.

• Martinez was called to measurement down by City Council colleagues, community activists, and adjacent President Biden, on with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Rick Caruso and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

Meanwhile, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, who were besides heard connected the call, person apologized but person not resigned.

Background: The 3 Latino councilmembers used derogatory language during the secretly-recorded conversation.

• In the audio, Martinez is heard saying a achromatic councilmember handled his Black lad similar an "accessory." She besides utilized a Spanish word meaning "little monkey" to picture the child.

Of note: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) announced earlier Wednesday that his bureau volition launch an investigation into Los Angeles redistricting arsenic a effect of the leaked audio.

Zoom out: The nation's second-largest metropolis is successful the midst of a mayoral predetermination successful which rising crime, growing homelessness and the system person dominated, per Axios' Russell Contreras.

• Experts accidental the racism heard successful the signaling underscores prevailing anti-Black and anti-Indigenous attitudes among galore Latino communities.

What's next: The situation is improbable to impact the upcoming mayoral election, but if each the councilmembers garbage to resign and the protests continue, tensions could increase. A caller politician volition person to tackle those issues — and heal a caller fallout.

Editor's note: This is simply a breaking quality story. Please cheque backmost for updates.