Senate report alleges Mayor Eric Garcetti likely knew about allegations against advisor
A U.S. Senate investigative report found that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti more likely than not" was aware of sexual harassment and racist comments made by a former top aide.
The investigation, which was released Tuesday, found it was "more probable than not" that the aide, Rick Jacobs, "sexually harassed multiple individuals and made racist comments towards others."
The report also states that Garcetti -- who is being considered as ambassador to India -- " is very involved in the day-to-day operation of his office" making it "extremely unlikely" that the mayor was unaware of the behavior.
In the report, it states that "Mr. Jacobs' behavior was widely known and talked about. It was pervasive, widespread and notorious -- to the point that Mr. Jacobs sexually harassed someone in front of the mayor for a picture that would be memorialized for all of time. Such overt conduct suggests at best that Mr. Jacobs had no fear of any repercussions."
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, requested the investigation into Garcetti and delayed the Senate confirmation vote on the mayor's ambassador nomination.
Following the release of the report, Garcetti released a statement saying, "While I strongly disagree with the opinion reached in this report, I am pleased that Senator Grassley has lifted his hold, and hope that my nomination by the president can be considered by the Senate soon."
The mayor's Chief Communications Officer Dae Levine said: "No new facts were uncovered in this report, and Mayor Garcetti strongly reaffirms the simple truth that he never witnessed or was made aware of sexual harassment. The opinion reached in the report does not reflect the truth about the experiences of so many people who have testified under oath and spoken candidly to the senator's office. It is based solely on false, repackaged allegations that have been proven false by multiple unbiased investigations and reviews."
The White House released a statement saying in part, "This partisan report was a hit job from the beginning and many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports. The President has confidence in Mayor Garcetti and believes he will be an excellent representative in India at a critical moment and calls for the Senate to swiftly confirm him."
