LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to censure Council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, as well as former Council member Nury Martinez, for racist and incendiary comments made on a leaked recording.
The vote appeared to mark the first time the City Council censured one of its own members — a move that carries no legal weight but adds to the public pressure on Cedillo and de León to resign. Martinez stepped down two weeks ago.
Police officers cleared about two dozen protesters — who were shouting and demanding the two council members resign — from the council floor before the vote. The police issued a dispersal order to empty the room, a tactic usually served for handling large street protests.
The dramatic events were another sign of how the leaked recording has upended City Hall.
At the same time, some neighborhood leaders in de León’s district called in to Wednesday’s meeting to defend the council member — support that hadn’t yet been widely seen.
The groups calling for his resignation “do not know our district,” said Pamela Marquez, of Concerned Neighbors of El Sereno.
“Any action taken for or against Councilman de León’ should be made at the voting booth by their constituents,” Marquez said.
Under City Charter rules adopted in 2000, the council — with a two-thirds vote — can adopt a resolution of censure against members whose actions “constitute gross failure to meet the high standards of personal and professional conduct.”
The council conducted much of Wednesday’s meeting amid a cacophony of shouts from about two dozen members of the public, who want the council to cancel meetings until de León and Cedillo resign.
Many of those shouting were part of coalition that held a news event earlier in the morning to call for de León’s resignation. The coalition included Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Union de Vecinos, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and others.
The rules of the City Council allow the subject of the request for censure “to make an opening and a closing statement, to call witnesses on his or her behalf and to question his or her accusers,” according to City Council rules.
Neither de León nor Cedillo, who haven’t attended a City Council meeting in more than two weeks, were present.
Earlier Wednesday, an ad hoc committee unanimously approved two motions related to censuring the council members. At that meeting, Council member Paul Koretz asked the city attorney advising the council if the body could censure a City Council member who has already resigned, a reference to Martinez.
“It’s not entirely clear,” said city attorney Strefan Fauble.
