As a wave of sexual misconduct allegations continues to hit Hollywood, politics and beyond, an overlapping area of Los Angeles County has been left without political representation in Sacramento as a result of two legislators being accused of improper conduct.
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) have both gone on leave after improper conduct allegations, according to the L.A. Times, leaving huge swaths of Southeast L.A. County without a legislator repping them in the state Capitol.
UPDATE, 12:25 pm: Mendoza resigned abruptly on Wednesday. See more here.
The L.A. Times wrote: “The overlap between the Mendoza and Garcia districts is significant. More than 94 percent of Garcia’s district lies within Mendoza’s state Senate boundaries, including the cities of Downey, Cerritos and Pico Rivera. That leaves roughly 440,000 people without representation.”
Mendoza's district was Senate District 32 (See map here). Garcia represents Assembly District 58 (See map).
Garcia announced she would take an unpaid leave as an investigation went on about allegations that she’s engaged in sexual misconduct as a legislator. Several complaints rose against the assemblywoman, who was a prominent figure in the #MeToo movement. These include a complaint by a former field representative named David John Kernick, who said Garcia fired him after he refused to play “spin the bottle” with her, said the Washington Post.
Daniel Fierro, from Cerritos, told POLITICO he was groped by Garcia when he was a 25-year-old staffer to Ian Calderon. Garcia was then a Democratic lawmaker and chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Natural Resources Committee.
Now-former state Senator Tony Mendoza apologized to anyone who felt uncomfortable by his behavior, the Associated Press reported. Lawyers investigating complaints against the senator concluded that “he likely engaged in ‘flirtatious or sexually suggestive’ behavior with six women he worked with, including four subordinates.”
As for the overlapping district, former legislator who represented the area Martha Escutia told the L.A. Times that it is “very high-need.” She continued: “It definitely needs a legislator that is on the ball from Day One.”
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from L.A. TACO
‘We Will Win:’ USC Students Won’t Back Down, Committing To Their Fight For Palestine Despite Arrests
One of their main demands is for the school to not only commit to a complete academic boycott of Israel and their killing of Palestinians, but also to be transparent about how much the school is investing.
What To Eat This Weekend: A Booze-Filled Piñata, Ethiopian Lamb Tibs, Mole Poblano in East L.A., and Tito’s Tacos’ Rare New Menu Item
Plus, one classic Mexican restaurant that promises its "last cinco de mayo on Skid Row."
Swarm of Police in Riot Gear Destroy Peaceful Pro-Palestine Encampment At UCLA During Early Morning Raid, Over 200 Arrested
At 4 AM, CHP broke through the fencing on the other side of the encampment and set up a police line, consistently firing flash-bang grenades into the air. They also fired on protestors with “less-lethal” munitions and rubber bullets, causing an injury to one protester’s face that required stitches.
Ten Palestinian-Owned Restaurants to Support in L.A. and O.C.
Supporting our local Palestinian restaurants not only allows you to experience excellent cooking and recipes from a culture and people who have been making these dishes for generations, but it also helps to broaden our worldviews on a culture some forces seek to bury and erase.
Where To Find Don Perico, The Mexican-Owned Brand Bringing Tropical Flavors To Dispensaries
The products, with their festive packaging, tropical flavors, and colorful parrot mascot, are relatable and better yet, they taste great, are fast-acting, and strong.
