Some politicians seem to act like the laws that apply to average Americans don’t apply to them. Take for example President Biden’s nominee to be Ambassador to India, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
He made some news this week when pictures came out indicating that the mayor was maskless at the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers NFL game. All the paying fans at that game were mandated by law to wear a mask, but the mayor acted like those laws did not apply to him. He was quoted in the Los Angeles Times and glibly argued that he didn’t need to wear a mask when taking pictures with fans, because “when people ask for a photograph. I hold my breath.” He joined other elites like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed who also were photographed maskless. The game was in Los Angeles and L.A. County has had a mandatory mask mandate for outdoor stadiums since last August, yet these three politicians acted as if they were above the law. This is hypocrisy, but likely not something that will move any votes in the Senate to block Garcetti’s nomination.
When President Biden announced his intention to nominate Mayor Garcetti to be Ambassador on July 9, 2021, many noted that this nomination would be controversial because of past scandals. In December, Politico noted that Garcetti “skips past scandal on a glidepath to New Delhi” and reported “most problematically, Garcetti has been swept up in endless headlines over sexual harassment allegations against a former top adviser, raising concerns that he oversaw an office culture that silenced victims.” Aside from the fact that he has been a horrible mayor when it comes to crime and homelessness, the issue of sexual misconduct in this office should raise some red flags with politicians concerned about the Me Too movement. Allegations of covering up incidents of sexual harassment should be taken seriously.
Recently we have witnessed CNN’s Jeff Zucker bounced from his post because of an inappropriate relationship and Chris Cuomo also tossed from the same network because of Cuomo aiding his brother’s effort to retain the governorship of New York. Former Senator Al Franken (D-MN) was forced to resign over allegations of inappropriate touching of women because of pressure from fellow Senate Democrats. Somehow, Mayor Garcetti has avoided the wrath of the media and politicians when there are allegations that he ignored the concerns of whistleblowers touching on the issue of sexual harassment in his workplace. There is a view that he was on the fast track to be in the Biden Cabinet before these same allegations downgraded him to an ambassadorship.
If Mayor Garcetti was disqualified to be in the Biden Cabinet, he should also be disqualified to be Ambassador to India.
There is an issue that, not only was there credible allegations of harassment in his office, he ignored the complaints of a whistleblower. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has fought a lonely and heroic defense of government whistleblowers in his Senate tenure. Sen. Grassley should take note that the organization Whistleblower Aid has written a letter to Congress where they argue, that a “lawyer representing Naomi Seligman, a whistleblower disclosing substantial evidence implicating Eric Garcetti”, has information indicating that “Garcetti committed felony perjury in response to this question from the Hon. Senator Shaheen.” Without knowing if this allegation is true, this is a serious allegation that deserves an inquiry. The nomination should be held up until this matter is cleared up. Ignoring a whistleblowers concern, if true, should be a disqualifier for Garcetti to be confirmed.
The Senate should never be a rubber stamp for any president’s nominees. There is great deference given to the president so that the president can get nominees to help implement the party in power’s policies. That deference does not extend to a nominee with serious ethical problems which is why our Founders gave great power to the United States Senate when it comes to the nomination and confirmation process. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution provides that the Senate is supposed to provide “advice” and “consent” to nominees. The Senate should not consent if they have deep concerns about a nomination.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti should not be confirmed to any position in the federal government with these allegations pending. The Senate should take a hard look at the allegations of a coverup and get to the bottom of the complaint that the mayor was not truthful in his confirmation hearing before the Senate.