October 12, 2022
The Pacific Palisades Democratic Club joins the chorus of appalled Angelenos who have now heard the vulgar conversation between elected city officials of the highest rank, revealing how they violated the public trust.
The statements — made chiefly by former Council President Nury Martinez, who has now resigned, along with other councilmembers — are despicable and unequivocally deserve condemnation.
Kevin de Léon and Gill Cedillo, who both engaged in appalling conversation replete with exploitative politics and derisive narratives at a meeting where they believed they couldn’t be heard, both must join Ms. Martinez and resign. We must condemn the sentiments, freely exchanged between elected officials who have violated the public trust in the most daunting way, and hold these councilmembers accountable for their conduct.
It is truly a matter of great dismay to think that trusted elected officials would allow themselves to conduct the work of the people in this universally offensive manner — when they believed no one was listening. Writer C.S. Lewis echoed Charles Marshall, who said, “Integrity is doing the right thing when you don’t have to — when no one else is looking or will ever know….“ Rarely is that more true than when holding the public trust, and this recording lays bare that all three of these councilmembers lack integrity.
Having breached the public trust in the most vile of ways, the two councilmembers who have elected to remain in office must also resign.