LA Council President, Mayor Call For Huizar To Resign Amid Federal Corruption Probe
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Council President Nury Martinez Thursday called for the resignation of Councilman Jose Huizar, one day after a former aide agreed to plead guilty in a federal corruption probe.
In a statement issued Thursday, Garcetti said he was "sickened" by the bribery and corruption described in federal indictments and supported Martinez's call for the embattled councilman to step down from his seat.
"All city employees must uphold the highest moral and ethical standards, and elected officials have a special responsibility to the people who entrust them with power," Garcetti's statement said. "Mr. Huizar has lost that trust, and I hope and expect that any wrongdoing will be exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Earlier this month, Martinez asked Huziar to limit his participation by not attending any more council meetings, but stepped up her criticism Thursday and called for him to resign.
"The increasing level of greed, corruption and deception laid out in federal documents has not only disgusted me personally, it clearly and understandably has shaken our fellow Angelenos' faith in their local government," Martinez said. "As I stated previously, I demanded that Council member Huizar not attend all City Council and committee meetings and refrain from taking votes or participating in legislative actions until we have legal clarity in his case.
"However, yesterday's (Wednesday's) indictment directly implicates Council member Huizar and his illegal, offensive and absolute abuse-of-power dealings with a Council District 14 staffer. He should resign immediately," Martinez said.
Huizar, whose home and offices were searched by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in November 2018, has not been charged with a crime.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
