Racist audio leak could push L.A. City Hall further left in Nov. 8 election
On a recent Monday evening, the doors were flung open and the sounds of a steady drumbeat were heard reverberating through the halls of City Hall.
An hour before, at a fundraiser, a man who’d been invited to speak and contribute to the campaign of progressive Democratic City Council members Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Councilwoman Monique Pressley (D-Inglewood) gave a rousing and long-winded speech entitled, “America in 2016.”
The crowd was full and the chatter was thick. When the man finished his speech, he called upon audience members to “give us a hand” so he could introduce to the crowd the candidate who was about to speak.
“This is Councilwoman Pressley, this is Councilwoman Tlaib,” he shouted.
“The next speaker is councilman Danika Soto,” the man shouted, then quickly added, “and these are the people she loves best,” referring to Tlaib and Pressley.
Tlaib and Pressley have a long and controversial history with Mayor Eric Garcetti, who won election in 2007 with the help of the support of the Tlaib, Pressley, Councilwoman Lauraboxer (D-Agoura Hills) and Councilman Paul Koretz (D-San Vicente).
The mayoral election, held in 2016, is the first to be decided without a primary election between the top two vote-getters.
City Council races are decided by the top two vote-getters, but a runoff election can be triggered if no clear winner emerges by election day.
Tlaib and Pressley both have received more than $723,000 in campaign donations from Garcetti since winning their first elections nearly four years ago.
Last election cycle, T