A new Senate report concludes that Eric Garsetti “probably knew or should have known” about alleged sexual harassment by a former chief associate, despite the Los Angeles mayor’s denial that he knew about the behavior.
The report and the investigation, conducted by Senate officials at the request of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), raise new doubts about Garsetti’s upcoming nomination for ambassador to India.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Garsetti’s nomination without resistance earlier this year, but a whistleblower, former Garsetti’s communications director Naomi Seligman, has called for a more in-depth investigation. Grassley withheld the nomination and launched an investigation in March.
Rick Jacobs, who was deputy chief of staff and later an external adviser, was charged with misconduct in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Los Angeles police officer Matthew Garza, who claims Garsetti witnessed the behavior. but he closed his eyes to him. Jacobs denied the allegations.
“Based on the overwhelming evidence, we conclude that Mayor Garcetti probably knew or should have known that Rick Jacobs sexually harassed many people and made racist comments about others,” the report concluded. (Read it here).
Garsetti denied allegations in the past – and did so again during his hearing, telling the Senate committee that there was a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. The mayor claims he was unaware of Garza’s allegations until the case became public in July 2020.
But the report said that “the testimonies and documents reviewed by investigators when viewed in conjunction with Mr Jacobs ‘own confessions, the mayor’s acknowledgment of his awareness of Mr Jacobs’ habits of kissing and hugging others, and the apparent frequency, fame, and widespread recognition of Mr. Jacobs’ behavior by so many people, both inside and outside the town hall, who interacted with the mayor’s office strongly contradict the idea that the mayor did not know about it. It is very unlikely that he did not know about Mr. Jacobs’ behavior. “
Grassley’s staff said Jacobs and 11 people currently working for or close to the mayor have refused to speak to them. They also said Garsetti refused to meet after being asked to be interviewed in three different cases.
A Garsetti spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in March, when Grassley withheld Garcetti’s nomination, Garcetti’s office issued a statement saying “repeating a malicious lie will never make a lie true.”
“The mayor has testified under oath many times, including before the US Senate, and unequivocally defends his testimony: he was absolutely not a witness, nor was he informed of any of the alleged allegations. The mayor has spent most of his life aggressively advocating this issue, and if he had known about such behavior, he would have absolutely acted to stop it. “
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