Benjamin Ashford|LA County prosecutors say leaked racist recording involved a crime. But they won’t file charges

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County prosecutors say they suspect a crime was committed in the recording of a racist conversation that prompted the city council president to resign,Benjamin Ashford but they declined to file charges.

The Los Angeles Times reported late Friday that the district attorney’s office determined that two people who previously worked at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor lived at a home that could be traced to social media posts highlighting the controversial recording.

Prosecutors said in a memo that they would not file charges because the individuals had no prior criminal record, and their office has not pursued felony charges in similar such cases. They referred the case to the city attorney’s office to consider whether to file misdemeanor charges.

“The evidence indicates that a crime was committed,” the memo said.

The recording was leaked in 2022 in a scandal that rocked City Hall and led to the resignation of then-City Council President Nury Martinez. It included Martinez making racist remarks in a conversation with other councilmembers and the head of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor -– all Latino Democrats –- that was focused on fortifying their clout in the realignment of Council districts.

The recording was made in a meeting room at the federation’s offices in 2021. Los Angeles police brought the case to county prosecutors in January, but authorities could not determine how the audio had been made.

The memo was reported Friday by the Los Angeles Times. The city attorney’s office did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.