Kevin de León Facing Recall Effort
After rejecting widespread calls for his resignation, Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León is now facing a recall threat.
Paperwork was filed Thursday by five constituents leading the charge to kick de León out of office. The effort follows the release of a secret conversation between de León, former Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, and former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor leader Ron Herrera. On the tape, Martinez made racist comments and discussed manipulation of the redistricting process. De León made his own crude remarks, comparing Councilmember Mike Bonin’s Black son to a designer handbag.
In order to force a recall election, recall leaders would need valid signatures from 15% of registered voters in the district. That’s 21,006 people. Most recall petitions don’t make it that far, but this is a controversy that has garnered widespread attention, with the President of the United States even calling on the councilman to go.
De León remains defiant.
“After three failed attempts, yet another recall that distorts his record will not distract the councilmember or his office from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14,” De León spokesperson Pete Brown said in response to Thursday’s filing. “He will keep moving forward important projects and issues that threaten the communities and the lives of his constituents.”
