Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez resigned today after she was caught making racist remarks in a leaked recording.
As Slay News previously reported, Martinez and three of her Democrat colleagues made racist comments about a white fellow council member and his adopted black child.
Multiple leaked audio clips went viral after they were posted by an anonymous Reddit account.
The recordings appear to expose the true feelings about black Americans of three Los Angeles City Council members and a top county labor official.
The conversation, recorded last October, includes Martinez with fellow Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, all of whom are Democrats.
During the conversations, the individuals could be heard using divisive and racist language while discussing black people and interracial families.
In one of the discussions, Martinez remarked about Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón after his name was mentioned.
“F*** that guy,” Martinez said. “He’s with the blacks.”
Another part of the audio clip, which can be heard across social media platforms and in a report by The Los Angeles Times, exposes comments made by Martinez about Councilmember Mike Bonin.
Bonin is a white man who has an adopted black son.
While discussing Bonin, Martinez calls his son “Parece changuito,” or “like a monkey.”
Democrat Martinez later referred to Bonin as a “little bitch” and said he is raising his child like a “little white kid.”
In a statement announcing her resignation, Martinez said:
“I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry.
“I sincerely apologize to the people I hurt with my words: to my colleagues, their families, especially to Mike, Sean, and your son.
“As a mother, I know better and I am sorry.
“I am truly ashamed. I know this is the result of my own actions.
“I’m sorry to your entire family for putting you through this.
“As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal.
“Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority.
“I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other Black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal.
“I ask for forgiveness from my colleagues and from the residents of this city that I love so much.
“In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward.
“I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends.
“Therefore, effective immediately I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council.”
NEWS: "I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council," @CD6Nury. https://t.co/3EGYquZDH0 pic.twitter.com/Sm11uj9jIw
— Benjamin Oreskes🦅 (@boreskes) October 10, 2022
She told CNN:
“The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color.
“My work speaks for itself.
“I’ve worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.
“In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry.”
Martinez was talking with Cedillo, de León, and Herrera about how to “ensure that heavily Latino districts did not lose economic assets” in the redistricting.
According to CNN:
The councilmembers then discussed Councilmember Mike Bonin, a White man.
In clips of the leaked audio posted by the Times, Martinez is heard recounting a conversation and says “Bonin thinks he’s f**king Black.”
According to the Times, Martinez says Bonin appeared with his son on a float in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade and he “handled his young Black son as though he were an accessory.”
The boy is 8 years old, according to a Facebook post by his father.
The Times reported that Martinez also said of Bonin’s child, “Parece changuito,” or “He’s like a monkey.”
In the leaked audio, Martinez can be heard speaking about Bonin’s son allegedly misbehaving while at the parade by hanging from a railing of their float, saying “this kid is going to tip us over.”
“They’re raising him like a little White kid,” Martinez said in the audio released by The Times.
“I was like, this kid needs a beatdown.
“Let me take him around the corner and then I’ll bring him back.”
Our family statement about today’s ugly and hateful news. pic.twitter.com/0fPPXwsS5B
— Mike Bonin (@mikebonin) October 9, 2022
