Nury Martinez resigns from Los Angeles City Council following release of secret recording

Nury Martinez, the former Los Angeles City Council president, resigned her seat on Wednesday, following outrage over a leaked recording of her making racist remarks.

"It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home," Martinez said in a statement. "When I ran in 2013, I wanted to see a change in my community and fight for my neighbors. That is what it has been about all along." She called on her constituents to "stay engaged and continue to fight for your fair share of the city's resources," adding, "To all little Latina girls across this city, I hope I've inspired you to dream beyond that which you can see. While I take some time to look inwards and reflect, I ask that you give me space and privacy."

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported on an audio recording of a conversation between Martinez, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, and council members Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo. The meeting took place in October 2021, and the secret recording was posted on Reddit this month. In the audio, Martinez is heard calling white council member Mike Bonin a "little b---h" and saying his young son, who is Black, "parece changuito," or appears "like a monkey," adding that he misbehaved and needed "a beatdown," the Times reports. She also implied that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón should not be supported because he's "with the Blacks," and called Oaxacans "little short dark people" and "ugly."

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The audio was met with outrage and calls for the three council members to resign; before she gave up her seat on Wednesday, Martinez stepped down as council president.