LAPD launches investigation into racist tapes of council members – to see if they were recorded ILLEGALLY

Los Angeles Detectives are investigating whether last year’s tape of racist remarks by city council members was made illegally, the police chief said Tuesday.

The noise was caused by a leaked recording of racist comments from a meeting nearly a year ago, which also provided an unvarnished look at the city’s racial rivalries.

“The department has opened a criminal investigation into the wiretapping allegation,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michelle Moore said Tuesday during a press conference in response to a question from The Associated Press.

The release of the tapes earlier this month sparked a citywide scandal in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Council chairman Nuri Martinez resigned in disgrace, while two other council members resisted widespread calls for their ouster.

An audio recording of a private meeting in October 2021 featured Martinez, council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedilla, and powerful labor leader Ron Herrera, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

The uproar began with the release nearly two weeks ago of a previously unknown recording of a private 2021 meeting involving Martinez, Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo

Police tape put up by protesters blocks the entrance to City Hall in Los Angeles, Wednesday, October 19

In the profanity-laced clip, Martinez can be heard calling co-worker Mike Bonin’s son a “little monkey” and accusing him of raising him “like a little white kid” who needs a “beating.”

“Let me take him around the corner and then I’ll bring him back,” added the former city council president.

“I take a lot of hits, but my son? But let me be clear, people don’t have to apologize to me.

“I cannot forgive them because it is not my prerogative. That’s the prerogative of a boy who’s too young to really understand what’s going on.’

On Monday night, Ron Herrera, the head of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, resigned after a leaked audio recording sparked a backlash.

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, leader of the California Federation of Labor, confirmed that the Los Angeles County official tendered his resignation during executive session.

“Last night, Ron Herrera resigned as president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor,” the statement said.

“The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Board is also calling on the elected officials in attendance to follow President Herrera’s lead and resign immediately as well.”

“The department has opened a criminal investigation into the wiretapping allegation,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michelle Moore said Tuesday during a media briefing.

Mike Bonin (left) and his partner Sean Arians (far right) with their adopted son (center)

“Racism in any form has no place in the House of Labor,” the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said in a statement.

“It is not fair for those elected to fight for our communities of color to engage in vile and vile anti-black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Asian and anti-Axacan remarks against our working communities. Neither our organization nor those we represent will tolerate such sentiments.”

In his initial apology, the labor leader said he felt remorse for his “ffailure to stand up to racist and anti-black language.”

“There is no excuse or justification for the vile remarks made in that hall. Point. And I didn’t stop them, and I will have to bear the weight of that cross moving forward,” Herrera said in a statement released.

Those attending the private meeting spent much of the time discussing how to preserve Latino political power during the redrawing of council district boundaries.

A black legislative group in California said the recording “reveals an appalling effort to decentralize the black vote during a crucial redistricting process.”

The group, all Latino Democrats, were caught on tape planning to defend their political influence in redrawing council districts during an hour-long conversation filled with bigoted comments.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin (pictured) and his adopted son (left) were unknowingly subjected to derogatory remarks by Martinez and two other City Council members during a conversation in October 2021

A recording of the closed-door meeting revealed racist language was used to taunt colleagues as they plotted to protect Latino political power in council constituencies. It is not known who made the tape or why.

Under California law, all parties must consent to the recording of a private conversation or telephone call. Otherwise, the person who made the recording may be held criminally and civilly liable.

Martinez, de Leon, Cedillo and Herrera went to the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday and asked the agency to open an investigation, Moore said.

“It (the request) was made by the principals – it was not made through some intermediary or otherwise,” he added.

Los Angeles City Council President Nuri Martinez (center) speaks at a press conference at City Hall in Los Angeles on April 1, 2022.

Detectives have since questioned the group about why they believe the recording was made “illegally and secretly,” the chief said.

“We will also look to the extent possible to understand how such a recording was made and, if possible, identify the person or persons responsible,” he said.

No suspects have been identified, according to Moore.

Other questions remain about what the investigation may have entailed and whether other records were made at the Federation of Labor headquarters.

The state is separately investigating how council districts were drawn and whether the process was rigged. Attorney General Rob Bonto, a Democrat, said his investigation could lead to civil or criminal charges, depending on what is found.

The fallout left City Hall in turmoil, and President Joe Biden called for de Leon and Cedillo to resign. Loud protesters at city council meetings provided a steady backdrop of chants and shouts as they tried to increase pressure on the duo to resign.