{"id":1470729,"date":"2022-05-10T18:29:44","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T22:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1470729"},"modified":"2022-05-10T18:30:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T22:30:00","slug":"eric-garcetti-more-likely-than-not-knew-about-top-staffers-alleged-sexual-harassment-senate-report-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eric-garcetti-more-likely-than-not-knew-about-top-staffers-alleged-sexual-harassment-senate-report-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Eric Garcetti \u2018More Likely Than Not\u2019 Knew About Top Staffer\u2019s Alleged Sexual Harassment, Senate Report Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Feric-garcetti-more-likely-than-not-knew-about-top-staffers-alleged-sexual-harassment-senate-report-finds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1470729&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was likely aware of a top aide\u2019s rampant alleged sexual harassment of subordinates, a staff report released Tuesday by Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley found.<\/p>\n<p>Rick Jacobs, Garcetti\u2019s deputy chief of staff and a long-time Democratic consultant, was <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2020\/07\/15\/gay-deputy-la-mayor-allegedly-harassed-lapd-officer-me-too\/\">accused<\/a> of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed in 2020 by a former Los Angeles Police Department officer assigned to Garcetti\u2019s protection detail. President Joe Biden tapped Garcetti to serve as Ambassador to India in July 2021 and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced his nomination in January.<\/p>\n<p>A bipartisan <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/31\/richard-blumenthal-concerns-eric-garcetti-connection-sexual-harassment\/\">group<\/a> of senators has since expressed concern about Garcetti\u2019s alleged knowledge of the reported sexual harassment, and Grassley and fellow Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst placed holds on his nomination. The mayor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/losangeles\/news\/former-spokeswoman-for-garcetti-calls-for-him-to-face-charges-over-rick-jacobs-scandal\/\">testified<\/a> during his confirmation hearing that he \u201cnever witnessed\u201d the alleged behavior. <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2020\/12\/03\/los-angeles-mayor-eric-garcetti-covid-restrictions-ban-walking-traveling\/\"><strong>(RELATED: LA Mayor Bans Unnecessary Walking As Part Of New COVID-19 Restrictions)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7426797\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7426797\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 APRIL 7: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) leaves the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on April 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Grassley\u2019s report contradicts both Jacobs\u2019 denials of sexual impropriety, as well as Garcetti\u2019s claims that he was not aware of Jacobs\u2019 alleged behavior. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/report_on_investigation_into_eric_garcetti_nominated_to_be_ambassador_to_the_republic_of_india1.pdf\">report<\/a>, Garcetti \u201c<span class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">more <span class=\"highlight selected appended\">likely than<\/span> not\u2026 <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">either had personal knowledge of the sexual harassment or should have been aware of it.\u201d The report notes allegations by the police officer, Matthew Garza, former Garcetti communications director Naomi Seligman, Kirra Consulting partner Alec Evans, and former deputy press secretary Anna Bahr against Jacobs. It finds the allegations of all four complainants \u201ccredible,\u201d noting Jacobs\u2019 own admissions of them in a <a href=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/58\/7e\/c57092884848a83a72591fa184ed\/ellis-report.pdf\">report<\/a> submitted to the City of Los Angeles by attorney Leslie Ellis, as well as contemporaneous text messages and rumors about the top aide\u2019s behavior.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Ellis report found that Garza\u2019s lawsuit \u201cgenerally lacked credibility,\u201d while Garcetti and other witnesses pushing back on the police officer\u2019s allegations \u201c<span class=\"\" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">provided credible accounts<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In one instance, Jacobs was photographed with his hand hovering about Evans\u2019 crotch. The picture was widely circulated within City Hall, according to the report, with several of Garcetti\u2019s staffers viewing it. Several aides interviewed by Grassley\u2019s investigators said that they did not report the photograph to the mayor, despite the fact that he also appeared in it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">It is difficult for investigators to believe that senior staff would not alert Mayor Garcetti of such a <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">dam<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">n<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ing photo unless this type of behavior was normalized and known to the Mayor,\u201d Grassley\u2019s staffers write.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Grassley\u2019s report says this about THAT infamous photo w Rick Jacobs:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is difficult for investigators to believe that senior staff would not alert Mayor Garcetti of such a damning photo unless this type of behavior was normalized and known to the Mayor.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YrWG3y3Z3i\">pic.twitter.com\/YrWG3y3Z3i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kate Cagle (@KateCagle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KateCagle\/status\/1524123529607729152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 10, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Senate report also finds credible the alleged behaviors that led to Garza\u2019s lawsuit, as well as concerns about Garcetti\u2019s condoning of Jacobs. In several instances, Jacobs allegedly hugged Garza while making suggestive remarks. Jacobs\u2019 comments included <span class=\"markedContent\"><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> \u201cyou feel so strong,\u201d <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u201cyou\u2019re so handsome,\u201d you have \u201cbeautiful eyes,\u201d and \u201cI love my LAPD officers,\u201d the report alleges. In addition, Jacobs allegedly massaged Garza\u2019s shoulders while riding in the car with Garcetti, behavior Jacobs acknowledged he \u201cpossibly\u201d engaged in.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Grassley\u2019s report also pushes back against the report Ellis submitted to the City of Los Angeles. It notes that Ellis\u2019 interviews were not kept confidential and that she was a city employee, meaning that interviewees could fear retaliation if they shared complaints about Jacobs. In addition, Ellis refused to update her findings even after Jacobs admitted to potentially feeling Garza\u2019s biceps.<\/p>\n<p>Grassley announced Tuesday that he would lift his hold on Garcetti\u2019s nomination, although he added that he would not support his ambassadorship. Jacobs refused to speak with Grassley\u2019s staffers, the senator\u2019s office said in a press release, and Garcetti\u2019s office declined three interview requests as part of the investigation. An early Biden supporter, the White House initially considered putting Garcetti forward for Secretary of Transportation, although Pete Buttigieg was ultimately nominated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was likely aware of a top aide\u2019s rampant alleged sexual harassment of subordinates, a staff report released Tuesday by Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley found.Rick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1482449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1470729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1470729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1482449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1470729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1470729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1470729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}