NEWS

LA City Council Scandal Update

Warrants in investigation of audio leak

By Morgan Owen

Latest in the scandal regarding a leaked audio recording of former LA City Council President Nury Martinez making racially charged statements, the LAPD Major Crimes Division has served several search warrants as part of their investigation into the leaked recording. Last month, LAPD Chief Michel Moore announced the LAPD opened a criminal investigation to determine if the person who leaked the audio recording obtained it illegally. Reports indicate that investigation will involve ascertaining the identity of the whistleblower. The LAPD has not released the subjects identified in the investigation, but anonymous sources state one of the warrants aims to uncover the identity of the owner of the Reddit account that posted the leaked audio recording. More warrants can be expected as the investigation continues. According to the California Eavesdropping Law, all parties must consent to being recorded. Even intentionally eavesdropping and privately listening to a confidential conversation is considered a crime. Violators can face either misdemeanor or felony charges and, depending on the case, could face up to three years in state prison and a maximum fine of $2,500. Martinez and others involved in the conversation stated they were unaware they were being

COURTESY PHOTO

Nury Martinez. recorded at that time. LAPD Chief Moore confirmed via broadcast that Martinez, Councilmembers de Leon, and Cedillo requested the LAPD launch an investigation. However, de Leon has since denied he was involved in that request. At the time of the leak, the Federation of Labor attempted to convince the Los Angeles Times not to publish the leak, alleging the recordings were obtained illegally. The Los Angeles Times refused and later published the recording from the now-disabled Reddit account. The conversation in question occurred on Federation of Labor property between LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, Martinez, de Leon, and Cedillo in Oct. 2021. In the audio, Martinez compared former Councilmember Mike Bonin’s son to a “little monkey,” and alleged Bonin treats his black son as an “accessory.” The conversation includes several instances of profanity and further inflammatory statements by Martinez about Oaxacan immigrants. The contents of the recording sparked widespread calls for all parties involved to resign immediately. Although Cedillo did not step down, the public voted not to re-elect him in the recent midterm elections. De Leon, who has announced his intention to remain in office, won’t be up for re-election until 2024. Former Councilmember Bonin elected not to run for re-election. The statute of limitations for a crime of this nature is three years, meaning the LAPD has two years to identify the person who leaked the recording and if it was obtained illegally. It’s also still unknown how the recording was made and why the whistleblower elected to release the information at the time and in the manner they did.