LAPD investigating if City Council racist recording taped illegally

Los Angeles detectives are investigating whether a recording last year that captured city councilmembers' racist remarks was made illegally, the police chief said Tuesday.

Disclosure of the recording earlier this month unleashed a citywide scandal just weeks before Election Day. The council president, Nury Martinez, resigned in disgrace, while two other councilmembers have resisted widespread calls for their ousters.

The uproar began with the release nearly two weeks ago of a previously unknown recording of a 2021 private meeting involving Martinez, Councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, as well as powerful labor leader Ron Hererra, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

"The department has initiated a criminal investigation into an allegation of eavesdropping," Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday during a media availability in response to a question from The Associated Press.

The group, all Latino Democrats, was captured on the recording scheming to protect their political clout in the redrawing of council districts during an hourlong conversation laced with bigoted comments.

The recording of the closed-door meeting revealed that racist language was used to mock colleagues, while they planned to protect Latino political strength in council districts. It's not known who made the tape, or why.

Under California law, all parties must consent to the recording of a private conversation or phone call. Otherwise, the person who made the recording could face criminal and civil penalties.

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

"This (request) was done by the principals — this wasn't done through some intermediary or otherwise," he added.

Detectives have since interviewed the group about why they believe the recording was made "unlawfully and surreptitiously," the chief said.

"We'll also look, as far as possible, to understand how such a recording was made and identify, if possible, the person or persons responsible," he said.

No suspects have been identified, Moore said.

Other questions remain about what the investigation could entail and whether other recordings were made at the labor federation's headquarters.

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

The fallout has left City Hall in turmoil and President Joe Biden has called on de León and Cedillo to step down. Noisy protesters at City Council meetings have provided a steady backdrop of chants and shouting as they try to increase pressure on the duo to resign.