LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Community leaders are calling on the Los Angeles City Council to reassess the handling of the suspension of councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas — who a federal grand jury indicted alleging corruption — after audio leaked of racist comments made by multiple councilmembers.
The chaos has also exposed the ongoing political power struggle between Los Angeles' Black and Latino communities. A group of Black civil rights leaders held a news conference Sunday, demanding Martinez be replaced by one of the council's African American members to "demonstrate its commitment to Black political empowerment and political and racial healing."
Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the National Urban League addressed their open letter to acting council president Mitch O'Farrell. The group pointed to the L.A. City Controller's immediate revocation of Ridley-Thomas's pay and benefits.
"Inaction on this matter reinforces the narrative that the Council is unable to move beyond [Nury] Martinez's crass self-interested attempts to nullify the votes of people of color," the letter read. The letter comes after Martinez resigned from her seat on the city council.
The letter calls for the council to rectify the "gross injustice being done to your colleague," adding that the comments by Martinez illustrate a "deep disdain for certain people of a darker hue and/or different orientation."
The letter concluded that Ridley-Thomas deserves the same due process rights and presumption of innocence that law enforcement officers and other civil servants receive in the City of Los Angeles.
"Suspension from office, revocation of representational duties, and pay without a hearing and meaningful public discourse can have far-reaching implications for constituents, staff, the individual member, and democracy itself," the letter said.
Federal prosecutors, and sources, claim that while Ridley-Thomas was on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, he gave a $100,000 donation to the indicted ex-dean of USC's School of Social Work, who then hired Ridley-Thomas's son Sebastian.
Soon after, prosecutors alleged Ridley-Thomas funneled millions of dollars worth of county contracts to USC.
Black Lives Matter protesters began a 24-hour encampment early Sunday near Councilmember Kevin de León's Eagle Rock home, demanding he steps down over his involvement in leaked racist conversations. The audio has already prompted the resignations of former council president Nury Martinez and former L.A. County Federation of Labor president Ron Herrera.
Protests caused the City Council to cancel last Friday's meeting, and nearly all of their colleagues are urging de León and Councilman Gil Cedillo to resign.
Councilman Mike Bonin — whose 2-year-old Black son was the target of some of Martinez's most offensive slurs — delivered a tearful 12-minute speech in the council chamber at Tuesday's meeting.
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