Kevin de León defies attempts to remove him from office

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In a clear challenge to the cries that ask for his resignation. Councilman Kevin de León has stated through his spokesman that the recent attempts to remove him from office will not be successful due to the commitment to the people of his district.

“After three failed attempts, yet another recall that distorts his record of him will not distract the councilmember or his office of him from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14,” De León spokesperson Pete Brown said in a statement. “He will keep moving forward important projects and issues that threaten the communities and the lives of his constituents.”

Five constituents filed initial paperwork Thursday to recall Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León.
The former state Senate leader has been at the center of a political maelstrom set off by a leaked recording first reported by The Times on Oct. 9.

Eagle Rock resident Pauline Adkins, the recall group’s representative, initiated three attempts to recall De León prior to the leak scandal, including attempts with initial paperwork filed in July 2021 and May 2022. It’s relatively easy to launch a recall attempt in California, but actually triggering an election is far more difficult. Most attempted recalls fail to make it to the ballot.

Under city rules, recall backers must start the process by submitting a 300-word statement signed by five voters within the district. Several other procedural steps have to be completed within a certain timetable before signature gathering can begin.

The paperwork filed Thursday cites De León’s participation in the leaked conversation and subsequent calls for his resignation of him as the reason for the recall, saying “he currently cannot represent the stakeholders of Council District 14.”

Triggering a recall election for a Los Angeles council member requires the signatures of 15% of the total number of registered voters in the district, meaning proponents would have to collect 21,006 valid signatures in District 14, according to the City Clerk’s office.