California AG to Investigate L.A. Democrats Allegedly Redistricting to Exclude Black Voters

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that he would investigate Los Angeles over its new City Council districts after a leaked recording suggested some officials wanted to maximize Latino representation and dilute the power of black voters.

As Breitbart News and others have reported, leaked audio of a conversation among three Democrats on the council — Nury Martinez (who has since resigned), Kevin de Léon, and Gil Cardillo — together with labor leader Rob Herrera included racist, bigoted rhetoric.

The context of the conversation was the redrawing of City Council districts. As the New York Times notes, the four were discussing “strategies for ensuring that council districts would be redrawn so that Latino leaders would have within their districts key blocs of voters, as well as ‘assets’ like airports that can enhance an officeholder’s political influence and fund-raising ability.” In doing so, they also “considered ways to carve up districts historically represented by Black council members,” diluting black political power.