L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León Says He Won’t Be Resigning Following Racist Audio Being Leaked: “I Have to Repair”

Despite several calls for his resignation, Los Angeles council member Kevin de León is refusing to step down from his position.

The entire country has now heard the audio that contained racist language and comments about Black, Asian and Latino communities from L.A. council member de León, L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, and former council members Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo.

So far, Martinez has resigned, and Cedillo and León have been removed from committee chairmanships and assignments. On Wednesday, de León chatted with CBS News’s Tom Wait, where he announced that he won’t be resigning despite the community outcry. “I have to do the hard work. I have to repair. I have to help heal. I have to help restore,” said de León on the audio, which was leaked two weeks ago.

He went on: “It’s about City District 14,” he said on the program. “A district that’s been underrepresented and has gone through much difficulty in the past without political representation… They do deserve political representation.”

The leaked audio was recorded in October 2021 from a conversation the group was having about the redistricting process.