Credit: Venice Paparozzi and YouTube screengrab
Los Angeles County prosecutors have concluded that a crime likely occurred in connection with the leaked recording of a racist conversation that led to the resignation of then-city council president Nury Martinez (Democrat), but they will not be filing charges.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the investigation traced the source of the recording to a residence linked to two former employees of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Santos Leon, and Karla Vasquez.
Despite indications of a criminal act associated with the recording, the district attorney’s office cited the lack of prior criminal records and a precedent of not pursuing felony charges in similar cases as reasons for their decision.
The matter has been forwarded to the city attorney’s office to assess the potential for misdemeanor charges.
“The evidence suggests that a crime was committed,” noted a memo from the district attorney’s office per LA Times.
The Gateway Pundit reported in 2022 that the recording captured Martinez using the phrase “parece changuito” (“he’s like a monkey”) to describe council member Mike Bonin’s black son.
Mike Bonin is a gay politician. At least she didn’t call him a queer. Martinez also said of LA DA George Gascon, “fu*k that guy, he’s with the blacks.”
Listen:
Senator Alex Padilla, who previously served as California Secretary of State, expressed his disgust at the “racist, dehumanizing” language used by Martinez and was among those who urged her to step down.
“I am appalled at the racist, dehumanizing remarks made by Los Angeles City officials and leaders that were made public yesterday. As a father, I am offended that an innocent child was a target of these remarks.
“At a time when our nation is grappling with a rise in hate speech and hate crimes, these racist comments have deepened the pain that our communities have endured. Los Angeles deserves,” Padilla wrote.
Following the scandal, Martinez resigned.
“It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home,” Martinez said in a statement.
The post LA Prosecutors Won’t Be Filing Charges Against Two People Suspected of Secretly Recording Racist Conversation Involving Ex-Council President, Who Said Fellow Democrat’s Black Son Was ‘Like a Monkey’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
