LOS ANGELES (KNX) – A new report released Tuesday said that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti “more likely than not” was aware of the behavior of his former deputy chief of staff, Rick Jacobs.
The report, released by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), concluded “Mayor Garcetti either had personal knowledge of the sexual harassment (by Jacobs) or should have been aware of it.”
During the investigation, Grassley wrote that investigators interviewed 15 witnesses and that 26 depositions taken from a civil suit against Jacobs were read.
Grassley also wrote that investigators asked Garcetti for an interview three different times, but that he "refused to meet."
Grassley requested the investigation, which caused a delay in Senate confirmation to vote on Garcetti’s nomination to be an ambassador to India.
The report features of 2017 photo of Jacobs with Garcetti and other staffers and shows Jacobs putting his hand over the genital region of a man in the photograph. The report stated the man said that although Jacobs' hand "never touched his body", he didn't know what Jacobs had done until someone showed the man the photo, at which point the man felt "embarassed.“
The report also features screenshots of text messages between staffers regarding Jacobs’ behavior.
During a news conference Tuesday, Garcetti said his nomination was "well-vetted" by the White House and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to City News Service.
In that same news conference, Garcetti claimed he offered to talk with Grassley but was denied the chance.
In 2020, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Matthew Garza accused Jacobs of sexual harassment and said Garcetti didn’t stop it.
In February, Naomi Seligman, the former communications director, filed a complaint that accused Garcetti of perjury when he denied knowing about the allegations against Jacobs under oath.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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