Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti “probably knew or should have known” of Top Aide’s conduct, Senate report concludes

Updated with additional comments: A new Senate report concludes that Eric Garcetti “probably knew or should have known” of alleged sexual harassment by a former senior aide, even though the Los Angeles mayor has denied knowledge of such behavior.

The Senate staff report and investigation at the request of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) raises new questions about Garsett’s candidacy for ambassador to India.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this year rejected Garsett’s appointment without opposition, but the complainant, former Garcet Communications Director Naomi Seligman, pledged to conduct a more thorough investigation. Grassley suspended the appointment and an investigation was launched in March.

Rick Jacobs, who served as deputy chief of staff and later as outside legal counsel, was charged with misconduct in a 2020 lawsuit filed by LAPD officer Matthew Garza, who claims Garsett has witnessed the behavior but turned a blind eye. Jacobs denied the complaint.

“Based on the wealth of evidence, we conclude that Mayor Garsetti probably knew or should have known that Rick Jacobs sexually assaulted many people and made racist comments about others,” the report concluded. (Read here).

Garsetti has denied the allegations in the past, and did so again during the hearing, telling a Senate panel that he has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. The mayor said he was unaware of Garza’s allegations until the lawsuit was filed in July 2020.

But the report states that “the testimonies and documents examined by investigators when considered alongside Mr. Jacobs ‘confession, the mayor’s acknowledgment of being aware of Mr. Jacobs’ kissing and hugging habits, and the apparent frequency, recognition and acknowledgment of Mr. Jacobs to City Hall and beyond, who had dealings with City Hall, strongly contradicts the notion that the Mayor knew nothing about it. It is extremely unlikely that he was unaware of Mr. Jacobs’ behavior. “

Grassley officials said Jacobs and 11 people currently working with or close to the mayor refused to speak to them. They also said Garcetti refused to meet after requesting an interview on three separate occasions.

“While I strongly disagree with this report, I am delighted that Senator Grassley has revoked his authority and look forward to seeing my presidential candidacy considered by the Senate soon,” Garcetti said in a statement.

De Levine, director of communications at Garsett, said, “No new facts have been revealed in this report and Mary Garcett has firmly established the simple truth that she has never witnessed or been known for sexual harassment. “The opinion expressed in the report does not reflect the truth about the experiences of many who testified under oath and spoke candidly in the senator’s office.”

Levin said the report “was based solely on false and repackaged allegations, which have been refuted by numerous unbiased investigations and reviews.”

The White House continues to support Garsett’s appointment.

Deputy Spokesperson Chris Meger criticized Grassley’s report as “a successful job from the start and many claims were eventually dismissed by more serious independent reports.”

Meager added: “It reflects the allegations already under oath and does not interview key participants. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously removed Mary Garcett from the committee after extensive discussion on these issues. Mayor Garcetti has made it clear that she takes any allegation of harassment very seriously and that this type of misconduct is unacceptable in her office in any form. She also swore that she never witnessed this behavior. The president trusts Mary Garcetti and believes she will be an excellent representative in India at a critical time and asks the Senate to pass it quickly.

Garsett can be confirmed without Republican votes, but all members of the Democratic caucus must stick together and Vice President Kamala Harris will have to break the tie. Before Grassley released his report, some Democrats raised concerns about Garsett’s appointment.

Seligman, who claims he was sexually assaulted by Jacobs, asked the White House to withdraw Garsett’s appointment.

Seligman’s statement says Senators on both sides are committed to protecting women and men from sexual violence and I am confident they will draw the appropriate conclusions from Senator Grassley’s report.

Seligman and Whistleblower Aid, who represents him, opposed a previous Los Angeles City Attorney report as flawed, saying it was misrepresented or overlooked evidence.