Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León refuses to resign after racist remarks

Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León told CBS Los Angeles on Wednesday that he has no plans to resign after a leaked audio recording captured him, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, Council President Nury Martinez, and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera making racist comments in October 2021. De León described the situation as "the biggest [challenge] I've ever confronted in my life" in the exclusive interview with CBS Los Angeles political reporter Tom Wait. "I accept my responsibility for a lot of that pain that exists today," he said, adding that he's reached out to various city leaders, organizations and his constituents to have "hard conversations." "I have to do the hard work. I have to repair. I have to help heal. I have to help restore," the councilman said. In the recording, Martinez was heard referring to Councilman Mike Bonin's 2-year-old son, who is Black, as a "Parece changuito," which means "that little monkey," when translated from Spanish to English.